Multiple types of harassment victimization in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Related factors and effects on mental health problems.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This study examined the prevalence and related factors of multiple (two or three) types of harassment victimization, including school bullying, cyberbullying, and teacher harassment, and their cumulative effects on depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and suicidality in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but without intellectual disability.

METHODS

A total of 219 adolescents with ASD but without intellectual disability and their parents participated in this study. Their experiences of school bullying, cyberbullying, and teacher harassment were evaluated. The related factors of multiple types of harassment victimization, including demographic characteristics, socio-communicative skills, comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, were examined. Moreover, the effects of multiple types of harassment victimization on depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and suicidality were examined.

RESULTS

In total, 20.54% of participants were victims of multiple types of harassment. Hyperactivity or impulsivity and ODD symptoms were positively associated with multiple types of harassment victimization. Adolescents with ASD who experienced multiple types of harassment victimization had higher severities of depression and anxiety and were more likely to have suicidality than nonvictims and those who experienced only one type of harassment victimization.

CONCLUSION

Experiencing more than one type of harassment victimization was significantly associated with the development of mental health problems in adolescents with ASD. ODD and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms predicted the risk of experiencing multiple types of harassment.