Daily HealthBeat Tip

Bullying and special needs kids

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Kids with special needs may have bigger problems with bullying. A study in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics looked at it.

Matthew Davis of the University of Michigan and Jeanne VanCleave of Massachusetts General Hospital examined national data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to see if bullying was more common for special needs kids.

Now, special needs means more than obvious physical problems. Davis notes it can include such things as asthma and behavioral issues:

"Children with special health care needs of many different varieties – even needs that may be less apparent to other children – are at increased risk of being bullied." (seven seconds)

Davis says special needs kids with behavioral problems were also more likely to be bullies.

Davis says parents should talk with their kids about bullying.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October 2, 2006

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