Peer Victimization Among a Clinical Sample of Turkish Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Young subjects with developmental disabilities are vulnerable and may experience frequent peer victimization. Quantifying the risk and associated factors and consequences of peer victimization among this vulnerable population would have clinical and public health implications. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate peer victimization and relationships with psychiatric comorbidity and sociodemographic/socioeconomic variables in a clinical sample of young subjects with ASD without ID in a nonwestern country. The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and a semistructured diagnostic instrument were used to investigate victimization experiences and psychiatric disorders, respectively. The majority of the subjects (68.8%) experienced victimization (verbal, relational or physical) by their peers. Only 45% (18/40) of the victims' parents were aware of their child's victimization status. Frequency of generalized anxiety disorder and self-reported anxiety scores were higher in those with more severe victimization. A binary logistic regression analysis for victimization yielded significant associations for having a single parent, a higher maternal educational level, a lower paternal educational level and higher depression scores. Psychiatric evaluation of young subjects with ASD should include questioning about bullying experiences. Because parents may not be aware of bullying experience, disclosing bullying experience only depending on the parental report may cause an underreport of bullying among young subjects with ASD.