Overly academic in tone, but some useful info if you dig....
According to a study published in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) entitled, “Experiences of social exclusion and bullying at school among children and youth with cerebral palsy,” kids with cerebral palsy are often the target of bullying during school hours. There are a number of reasons why bullies hone in on children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, some of which include:
- Children with cerebral palsy may stand out from their other classmates
- Bullies often think children with cerebral palsy cannot defend themselves
- Children with special needs may have a lower “social standing” in school, making them easy targets
- Low frustration tolerances lead to children with disabilities having meltdowns easier, something that bullies tend to target
- Problems with motor skills and physical limitations, such as not running fast enough
- Children with assistive devices may be perceived as “weird or strange”