ADHD :: Children with both autism and ADHD often bully, parents say
Children with both autism and attention deficit or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are four times more likely to bully than children in the general population, according to a study released today in the journal, Ambulatory Pediatrics.
However, the researchers caution against labeling these children simply as bullies.
"This is the first nationally representative study of bullying behaviors among children with autism. The majority of parents of children with autism and ADD or ADHD were concerned about their children's bullying behaviors, but there is much we do not yet understand. It is too early to label these children as bullies." said Guillermo Montes, Ph.D., senior researcher at Rochester, N.Y.-based Children's Institute. "These children may have pent up energy that needs to be properly channeled, or they may have other underlying behavioral or medical issues that have not been addressed."
The study pulled data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. The sample included 53,219 children ages 6 to 17. The researchers were interested in finding out whether children with autism were more likely to bully other children. They hypothesized that that children with autism may bully more often because they are more often male (who are more likely to bully); they are more likely to be bullied (and victims are more likely to bully); and many children with autism require treatment for aggression (which potentially includes bullying).
But the researchers did not find that children with autism had a higher rate of bullying – unless they also had ADD or ADHD. Those with both disorders showed a rate four times higher than children with just autism and with children overall. They also had a higher rate of bullying than children with ADD or ADHD but no autism. This poses an important opportunity for health care providers who see children with autism and ADD or ADHD, which occurs in about half of children with autism spectrum disorders.
"It would be helpful for clinicians to be aware that so many parents of children with both autism and ADHD are describing bullying behaviors," said Jill Halterman, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and second author of the paper. "These children may benefit from additional support services, such as from a behavioral or mental health specialist, depending on the severity of symptoms. These services may be available through community based organizations or from the broader health care system."
ADHD :: Children with both autism and ADHD often bully, parents say
Children with both autism and attention deficit or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are four times more likely to bully than children in the general population, according to a study released today in the journal, Ambulatory Pediatrics.
However, the researchers caution against labeling these children simply as bullies.
"This is the first nationally representative study of bullying behaviors among children with autism. The majority of parents of children with autism and ADD or ADHD were concerned about their children's bullying behaviors, but there is much we do not yet understand. It is too early to label these children as bullies." said Guillermo Montes, Ph.D., senior researcher at Rochester, N.Y.-based Children's Institute. "These children may have pent up energy that needs to be properly channeled, or they may have other underlying behavioral or medical issues that have not been addressed."
The study pulled data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. The sample included 53,219 children ages 6 to 17. The researchers were interested in finding out whether children with autism were more likely to bully other children. They hypothesized that that children with autism may bully more often because they are more often male (who are more likely to bully); they are more likely to be bullied (and victims are more likely to bully); and many children with autism require treatment for aggression (which potentially includes bullying).
But the researchers did not find that children with autism had a higher rate of bullying – unless they also had ADD or ADHD. Those with both disorders showed a rate four times higher than children with just autism and with children overall. They also had a higher rate of bullying than children with ADD or ADHD but no autism. This poses an important opportunity for health care providers who see children with autism and ADD or ADHD, which occurs in about half of children with autism spectrum disorders.
"It would be helpful for clinicians to be aware that so many parents of children with both autism and ADHD are describing bullying behaviors," said Jill Halterman, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and second author of the paper. "These children may benefit from additional support services, such as from a behavioral or mental health specialist, depending on the severity of symptoms. These services may be available through community based organizations or from the broader health care system."
Very interesting, thanks for posting this, as I am one who has Asperger's with comorbid (clinically significant) ADD. Any other information you can provide on this combination would be helpful.
Regards,
Batman
Like Batman, I have AS & ADD. I hate to admit it, but I think I was likely percieved as a bully for parts of elementary school...what would happen is that other kids would taunt me verbally, with insults and threats, or inadvertantly put me in a defensive mode by standing too close to me, insisting on eye contact, SPEAKING VERY LOUDLY, ect. I'd try to ignore it, but that rarely worked. In cases of the former, it seemed to encourage them to come up with worse and worse things to say to me. Finally, I wouldn't be able to take it anymore, and I'd lash out physically. I was much smaller than these other kids, but I scratched and bit and really tried to hurt them.
This is especially awful considering that these children probably had no idea that they were causing me intense pain by overstimulation, or that I took their trash-talking seriously. So, from my perspective, I was being bullied and from their perspectives, they were being bullied. It well and truly sucked all around. I wonder whether this sort of thing happens often with aspie/autie kids.
Probably in some of these cases, characteristic behaviors of AS/ADD get misinterpreted by others as intentional or threatening.....
Then others react in unpleasant/uninformed ways.....
It's hardly impossible for someone with either AS or ADD to be an intentional bully to start with, but from personal observation I'd think the above scenario is more likely.
I once said to him "You're bullying me", he repeated "No, you're bullying me".
Actually, Erkolos, that's how this whole article struck me: "Aspies aren't the victims of bullies -- they're the bullies!"
If anyone wants to get an article published, a study funded, or just have their fat faces on TV, all they have to do is claim the victims are the perpetrators. It's white people who are discriminated against, gay people have more rights than straight people, men are the real victims of sexual harassment, etc., etc., etc. The media LOVES to assure the people of privileged status that THEY are the victims. What bullshit.
I'm not saying there aren't AS/ADHD bullies -- it's a volatile combination. But for every AS kid who is a bully, there are 10 that get bullied.
I have it the opposite affect, well sorta, I have the impulses to say mean or rude things and act violently toward others and make threats (aka bully) but then again im teased on a daily basis (im called "ritalin girl" or something like that) and people tease me about my day dreaming and spaciness and call it mental retardation.
and arial insists that she to say hi to you guys. "OMG HI!!!!!"
Pardon me for being a bit slow right now but I really hardly understand any of that exchange.
It's only that I don't know who was saying what - it just gets mega confusing. BTW, I tried to get into the chatroom today but my computer timed itself out and wouldn't let me in. Not sure if it is my computer or what? I installed a new version of Java yesterday so could that be it?
I was under the impression it was children with conduct disorder or ODD, whether or not combined with AS and/or ADHD, who tended to act this way?
I probably had childhood ODD then, I was very reactive and angry a lot. I very frequently started and got involved in fights with my brother, in fact I was quite violent in this way.
Although I mostly kept my angry/violent behavior outside of school. What's interesting (and perhaps in keeping with the article) is that, since I wanted to "feel better" about myself, I would perform a "passive kind" of bullying on a few younger kids, once in a while. But I never fought back to the actual people who bullied me, so I was perceived as an easy target, highly sensitive etc and so on.
I suppose I targeted the younger kids a little bit because I couldn't fight back to the older kids without getting laughed at, and I wasn't one to start fights in school. It seemed like a "trickle down" effect. I never really upset any of the younger kids, though, as that was not my intention. It was more about saying stupid things and "pretending" that I was a big-shot, than anything else.
Familiar to anyone else?
it does sound bulling. and bulling or any other bad behavior is not excusable , certainly not by any medical or psychological condition.
It wasn't really bullying though, it was more just about feeling like I was a bigshot, and coming off that way was easier among younger kids for obvious reasons. I believe I did this as a reaction to the bullying I got from kids my own age.
It wasn't really bullying though, it was more just about feeling like I was a bigshot, and coming off that way was easier among younger kids for obvious reasons. I believe I did this as a reaction to the bullying I got from kids my own age.
That's what bullying is about, someone has low self esteem and tries to make themselves feel important/strong etc. by bullying those who are weaker.
That's the comforting lie we tell ourselves. Real research has discovered the opposite. Bullies tend to have extremely HIGH self-esteem and just use their bullying as an amusement.
Yes, and the really bad bullies are often sociopaths.
It wasn't really bullying though, it was more just about feeling like I was a bigshot, and coming off that way was easier among younger kids for obvious reasons. I believe I did this as a reaction to the bullying I got from kids my own age.
That's what bullying is about, someone has low self esteem and tries to make themselves feel important/strong etc. by bullying those who are weaker.
I didn't use any kind of direct insults: for instance boys my own age would put their hands on my shoulder and use a soft voice to imply I might be gay, or lick their lips in front of me (the gay thing again), or compare me to Forrest Gump ("run Forrest run") because I couldn't figure out the rules in sports, etc. That's bullying.
What I did was more "joking around" without any direct insults. I insist that what I did was not bullying. If so it certainly wasn't "prolonged" and not abusive, more just spur of the moment, and I certainly had respect for the kids I did this too. I sorta just "fooled around" to make myself seem important--there were no real insults.
It wasn't really bullying though, it was more just about feeling like I was a bigshot, and coming off that way was easier among younger kids for obvious reasons. I believe I did this as a reaction to the bullying I got from kids my own age.
That's what bullying is about, someone has low self esteem and tries to make themselves feel important/strong etc. by bullying those who are weaker.
That's the comforting lie we tell ourselves. Real research has discovered the opposite. Bullies tend to have extremely HIGH self-esteem and just use their bullying as an amusement.
Wouldn't that be narcissism or sociopathy, though?
Yes, and not tacitly condoned by making it the victim's "fault" that it happens.
That explains why The Dev-Man was a bully.