Theory of mind, understanding and experience of bullying in adolescents with autism: A qualitative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/1984686X88562Keywords:
Autism, Bullying, Theory of mindAbstract
People on the autism spectrum may be more vulnerable to experiences of bullying in the school environment due to the characteristics of the disorder, especially those related to social deficits. This research aimed to qualitatively investigate, through multiple case studies, the understanding and experience of bullying and its relationships with the Theory of Mind abilities in five adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The adolescents completed tasks on the Theory of Mind and perception and experience of bullying, while their guardians completed a sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics Survey questionnaire. The results showed that participants distinguished most bullying or non-bullying behaviors, except for some who did not differentiate bullying from aggression and did not recognize intimidation or cyberbullying. The most experienced type of bullying was social exclusion, followed by verbal and physical bullying. We conclude that there appears to be a relationship between the constructs, but a broader investigation is needed, including other variables that seem relevant in this relationship, such as age, education, and other cognitive functions.
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