"I couldn't tell the teachers about it": Autistic students' experiences of bullying and exclusion in post-primary schools

Abstract

Bullying and exclusion in school environments have significant psychological, social, and academic consequences for post-primary attending students. Autistic students are disproportionately affected by bullying, particularly during adolescence, a period marked by increasing social complexity and heightened peer scrutiny. In this study, data collected on the lived experiences of 18 autistic students in post-primary schools in Ireland were analysed for reports of bullying experiences in educational contexts. Bullying and exclusion emerged as a highly relevant experience for nine (50%) of the students in the study indicating the pervasiveness of bullying experiences among autistic students. Under the major theme of overt bullying and exclusion, three subthemes were constructed: (1) lack of teacher and institutional support, (2) misconceptions about autism, and (3) adverse wellbeing and mental health impacts. The findings highlight the importance of tailoring anti-bullying measures in schools to include the perspectives of autistic students and their families. The findings further indicate that teachers must have knowledge of autism and of the impact of bullying and exclusion on the mental health and school experiences of autistic students to build inclusive school environments and prevent bullying of neurodivergent students in post-primary schools.