Hands-on, Practical Guidance for Educators

From math, literacy, equity, multilingual learners, and SEL, to assessment, school counseling, and education leadership, our books are research-based and authored by experts on topics most relevant to what educators are facing today.

Look Inside

Bullying and Students With Disabilities

Strategies and Techniques to Create a Safe Learning Environment for All

By: Barry Edwards McNamara

Discover how bullying prevention programs typically fail students with disabilities. Find keys to develop and implement inclusive policies that address their particular needs.

Full description

Look Inside

Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781452283180
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2013
Page Count: 152
Publication date: October 01, 2013

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

Does your bullying policy protect all students?

A 2007 study uncovered a shocking fact: 80% of children with learning disabilities are bullied at school. As schools implement bullying policies, are they doing enough to address the unique needs of this 80%?

Drawing on extensive studies on bullying in schools, Barry McNamara provides a research-based overview to understand bullying. Additionally, this book shows how to identify bullies and victims and implement an effective and inclusive bullying prevention program.
Readers will discover:

What research says about bullying against students with disabilities
How programs typically fail to serve this population
A roadmap for an inclusive schoolwide program
Special intervention and coping strategies

Start down the road to create an inclusive and tolerant school climate where every student feels safe and valued.

“It has long been known that students with disabilities are targets for bullying or exhibiting bullying behavior. This book provides information on how teachers, paraprofessionals and parents can address bullying with students with disabilities within the schoolwide program to meet the individual needs of the child and create a safer school environment.”
— Barbara Hayhurst, Special Education Teacher
Lakevue Elementary, Nampa, ID

“Bullying of students with disabilities is often unaddressed in many schools. This book shines a light on a problem that often goes unnoticed and provides sound advice and guidance to all school-based staff.”
—Mary Reeve, Educational Administrator
Gallup McKinley County Schools, NM

Key features

Provides an overview of the research on bullying in schools and explains the key concepts of bullies, victims, and bystanders
Discusses the research regarding the incidence of bullying against students with disabilities
Explores the basics of typical schoolwide bullying prevention programs and demonstrates how these programs typically fail to serve as a helpful resource for students with disabilities
Presents a roadmap for implementation of a truly inclusive schoolwide program that serves the needs of all students
Includes examples of ways to modify the content and language of typical bullying prevention programs and use differentiated instructional strategies to create a prevention program that reaches all students
Provides teachers with guidance on specific intervention strategies and includes templates and checklists for program implementation and follow up
Describes the roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals as they relate to bullying
Explains methods and techniques for teaching specific coping strategies to students who are victims of bullying

Author(s)

Barry Edwards McNamara

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. What is Bullying?

What is Bullying?

Who are the Bullies?

Who are the Victims?

Schools and Bullying

What Causes Bullying?

What About the Rest of the Students?

Gender Differences

Prevalence

Summary

Test Yourself

2. Why Are Students With Disabilities Targeted?

Introduction

The Nature of Disabilities

Classification of Students With Disabilities

Non-Categorical Approach

Classroom Placements

Summary

Test Yourself

3. How to Identify Bullies and Their Victims

How to Identify Bullies

How to Identify Victims

Types of Victims

Early Identification

Assessing the Problem

Summary

Test Yourself

4. Creating a Schoolwide Program

Components of an Effective Program to Reduce Bullying

Evidenced-Based Programs

Including all Students in a Schoolwide Program

Needs Assessment

Differentiate Content and Delivery

Vary the Method of Presentation

Use a Variety of Reading Material

Vary the Level of Difficulty

Teach Attending Skills

Teach Memory Skills

Managing the Collaborative Classroom

Summary

Test Yourself

5. What Every Teacher Must Do

Know Your District’s Policy

Modify the Schoolwide Program

Provide Instruction for Dealing With Bullies

Create a Kind and Caring Classroom

Provide Resources for Your Students

Collaborate With Families and the Community

Address Cyberbullying

Summary

Test Yourself

6. What Every Paraprofessional Should Know

Roles and Responsibilities

How to Intervene

Paraprofessional Handbook

Roles and Responsibilities in Bullying Prevention/Intervention

Confidentiality

Summary

Test Yourself

7. What Every Parent Should Know

Signs Your Child Might be a Victim

What Should You Do?

What To Do if Your Child is a Bully

Be a Good Role Model

Provide Social Skills Training

How to Deal With Cyberbullying

Use Your Child’s IEP

Use Section 504v of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Best Practices for Parents

When to Seek Professional Help

Summary

Test Yourself

8. Teacher Supports And Techniques

Utilize the Existing PBS

Utilize a Collaborative Teaching Model

Create an Empathetic Classroom

Differentiate Instruction

Include Social Skills and Bully Prevention Into the Curriculum

Summary

Test Yourself

References

Index

Reviews

“It has long been known that students with disabilities are targets for bullying or exhibiting bullying behavior; this book provides information on how teachers, paraprofessionals and parents can address bullying with students with disabilities within the school wide program to meet the individual needs of the child and create a safer school environment.”

Barbara Hayhurst, Special Education Teacher
Lakevue Elementary, Nampa, ID

"This book is a must have for all schools. Bullying of students with disabilities is often unaddressed in many schools. This book provides sound advice and guidance to all school-based staff. It shines a light on a problem that often goes unnoticed."

Mary Reeve, Educational Administrator
Gallup McKinley County Schools, NM

"Dr. McNamara provides an excellent reference for teachers, administrators and parents regarding bullying in schools. His thoughtful discussion of the implications for students with disabilities offers significant insights into how and why a youngster's disability may make them a target for bullying as provocative victims. Educators and parents alike will benefit from the subtle yet important distinction between a provocative victim and their bully."

Patrick Harrigan, Deputy Superintendent
Half Hollow Hills Central School District, Dix Hills, NY

"McNamara addresses classroom and playground teasing, taunting and physical aggression aimed at atypical students. 'There is a very limited but emerging body of research that suggests that students with disabilities are more likely to be victims than their general education peers,' McNamara writes. 'Why are students with disabilities more likely to be targeted? The most obvious reason is their vulnerability.'

The book goes on to suggest how to create a schoolwide bullying prevention program, detail what every teacher should do and outline intervention and coping strategies."

Beth Whitehouse, Writer
Newsday

Other Titles in: Bullying Prevention | Special Education

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.