Collaboration between parents, children with disabilities, and school personnel: A key component of school-based bullying prevention

School-aged children with disabilities face heightened rates of bullying victimization compared to their typically developing peers. This chapter emphasizes the important role that parents of children with disabilities play in bullying prevention and intervention. First, school-based interventions for reducing bullying victimization among children with disabilities, such as inclusion, social-emotional learning, and multi-component programming, are reviewed. Furthermore, this chapter reviews recommendations for how parents can engage in communication with their child regarding bullying and strategies to help children with disabilities develop skills for handling such situations. Guidelines are provided for parents who seek to report bullying incidents to school personnel. This chapter also outlines helpful responses to bullying by school personnel as perceived by parents of children with disabilities. Lastly, this chapter explores considerations for schools and parents when supporting children with disabilities who are both bullied and bully others.