Published online October 2, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 4 October 2006, pp. e1212-e1219 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-3034)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van Cleave, J.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, M. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van Cleave, J.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, M. M.
Related Collections
Right arrow Developmental/Behavior

ARTICLE

Bullying and Peer Victimization Among Children With Special Health Care Needs

Jeanne Van Cleave, MDa and Matthew M. Davis, MD MAPPb,c

a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program
b Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics
c Division of General Internal Medicine and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

BACKGROUND. Dr Van Cleave’s current address is Department of Pediatrics, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, 50 Staniford St, Room 901, Boston, MA 02114. The association between bullying, being bullied, or being a bully/victim and having a special health care need has not been well described in a national sample of children with a broad variety of special needs.

OBJECTIVE. We aimed to determine the prevalence of bullying, being bullied, or being a bully/victim in children with special health care needs and associations of behaviors with particular types of special needs.

DESIGN. We performed a secondary data analysis using the National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative telephone survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of >102000 US households.

METHODS. We measured associations between having a special health care need and being a victim of bullying, bullying other children, and being a bully/victim in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. Multiple logistic-regression models were used to examine the association of children with special health care needs overall, and of particular special needs, with the bullying measures.

RESULTS. Overall, children with special health care needs were 21% of the population. In multivariate models adjusting for sociodemographic factors, being a child with special health care needs was associated with being bullied but not with bullying or being a bully/victim. Having a chronic behavioral, emotional, or developmental problem was associated with bullying others and with being a bully/victim.

CONCLUSIONS. Having a special health care need generally is associated with being bullied, and having a behavioral, emotional, or developmental problem is associated with bullying others and being a bully/victim. These findings may help pediatricians, mental health providers, and schools use targeted screening and interventions to address bullying for children with special health care needs.

Key Words: bullying • peer victimization • chronic conditions • special health care need

Abbreviations: CSHCN—children with special health care needs • NCHS—National Center for Health Statistics • NSCH—National Survey of Children's Health • FPL—federal poverty level • OR—odds ratio • CI—confidence interval

Accepted May 3, 2006.