Prevalence and correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization among school-aged youth with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

• Overall, 15.1% were bullies, 36.3% were victims, and 25.2% were bully-victims.
• High prevalence rates of physical, verbal and relational victimization were found.
• Bullying experiences differed according to studies’ characteristics.
• Differences between groups (with or without disabilities) were mixed and inconclusive.
• Correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization remain understudied.

Recent literature reviews show that bullying perpetration and victimization are major public health concerns for typically developing (TD) youth. Nevertheless, the magnitude of this phenomenon among youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide a synthesis of the empirical studies examining the prevalence and correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization among youth with ID. A systematic literature search was performed and 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings from these studies showed weighted mean prevalence rates of general bullying perpetration, bullying victimization and both of 15.1%, 36.3%, and 25.2%, respectively. Weighted mean prevalence rates of bullying perpetration and victimization differed according to the characteristics of the studies (e.g., assessment context, school setting, information source, type of measures, time frame). Additionally, high weighted mean prevalence rates of physical (33.3%), verbal (50.2%), relational (37.4%), and cyber (38.3%) victimization were found among youth with ID. When youth with ID were compared to youth with other disabilities or TD peers, no clear differences were found. Finally, the present review shows that correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization in this population remain understudied.