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ASD Symptoms, Social Skills, and Comorbidity: Predictors of Bullying Perpetration

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Abstract

Children with ASD are more likely to be involved in bullying compared to typically developing peers; however, studies rarely examine bullying perpetration and the contributing factors among this population. The primary aim of this study was to examine the extent to which parent-reported ASD symptoms, social skills, and comorbid externalizing and internalizing symptoms predicted bullying perpetration in a sample of 390 children with ASD without intellectual disability. Findings from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that social skill deficits, externalizing symptoms (i.e., hyperactivity, aggression, and conduct problems), and depressive symptoms were associated with higher likelihood of bullying perpetration, while severity of ASD symptoms and anxiety were not significant predictors. Further research is needed to better understand bullying perpetration among children with ASD.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Erica Wong for her assistance with reviewing the literature.

Funding

The research reported in this article was supported by Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences Grants R324A130216 and R324A080136, United States Department of Defense Grant W81XWH-15-1-0195, and a research grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation. Findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Stephanie S. Fredrick, Amanda B. Nickerson & Lucia Sun

  2. Institute for Autism Research, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Jonathan D. Rodgers, Marcus L. Thomeer, Christopher Lopata & Fable Todd

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  1. Stephanie S. Fredrick
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  2. Amanda B. Nickerson
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Correspondence to Stephanie S. Fredrick.

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Fredrick, S.S., Nickerson, A.B., Sun, L. et al. ASD Symptoms, Social Skills, and Comorbidity: Predictors of Bullying Perpetration. J Autism Dev Disord 53, 3092–3102 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05612-0

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