Was That Bullying? A Mixed-Methods Examination of Layperson Views in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Bullying is problematic for school-age children and especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is commonly defined in research using three themes: intent to harm, repetition, and a power imbalance. Despite encompassing a wide range of behaviors, these themes may not fully align with day-to-day layperson experiences. They also may not account for the cognitive biases within respondent groups that impact bullying perception. This study used a mixed-methods approach to understand how laypersons determine the presence and type of bullying behavior. The impact of an ASD relationship (i.e., ASD parents and teachers) on perceptions of bullying was also examined. Participants (N = 184 adults) categorized brief, written vignettes describing child dyadic interactions as a type of bullying behavior (i.e., physical, verbal, interpersonal, cyber), non-bullying behavior, or provided an “other” response. Thematic analysis of the qualitative, “other” explanations for bullying ambiguity revealed three themes: a need for more contextual information, the presence of other types of bullying (outside the options provided), and other non-bullying behaviors (e.g., crime, peer pressure). Comparing the probability of use across and within themes revealed statistically significant differences such that layperson views of bullying did not fully align with research definitions. Additionally, perceptions of bullying differed among individuals with and without ASD relationships (i.e., parents, teachers) and undergraduate students. Existing research definitions for bullying do not fully encompass the breadth of daily-lived and cultural experiences of laypersons. We propose an expanded “working definition” of bullying that may be useful to more accurately identify children in need of intervention and generate more reliable estimates of bullying across studies.