Author: Rachel Hughes, Campaigns Officer, Mencap
Eight out of ten children with a learning disability are bullied and are scared to go out because they are frightened of being bullied, a recent survey by leading learning disability charity Mencap has revealed.
Mencap spoke to over 500 children and young people with a learning disability across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, in the most extensive survey to date about the experiences of bullying of children with a learning disability.
The children and young people reported that they are bullied everywhere they go – at school, on the bus, out on the street, at the park and at youth clubs. This shows that bullying is preventing children and young people with a learning disability from going out and taking part in their community. This is causing isolation and social exclusion; six out of ten children said they cried because they were bullied, and three out of ten said they hid away in their room.
Mencap also found that a worrying 6 out of 10 children with a learning disability had been physically hurt by bullies. Other types of bullying included being called names, being left out of things, having things taken and receiving nasty text messages and phone calls.
Many children and young people with a learning disability had been bullied for a long time, with 4 out of 10 children saying they had been bullied for over a year. Bullying has a long-term impact, making it harder for children and young people to develop skills and gain confidence – both of which are already harder for children with a learning disability. The fact that 4 out of 10 children said that the bullying didn’t stop when they told someone is another cause for great concern.
Charlotte Morse’s son, Ben, has Down’s syndrome. Ben, now 19, has been bullied for most of his life because he has a learning disability. The bullying got so bad the family had to move to a different area of the town.
Charlotte said: “Ben was desperate to make friends with the local children. But he often returned home with spit on him or the tyres of his bike deflated. On some days he was chased by a group of children until he got home. How can children with a learning disability grow up to be independent if they are scared to leave their home?”
Dame Jo Williams, Mencap’s chief executive, said: "These shocking findings show how big a problem bullying is for children with a learning disability. Bullying wrecks lives, making children scared to go out. This means that children with a learning disability are missing out on opportunities to learn and make friends, socialise and play. If action is not taken to tackle bullying, children with a learning disability will face bullying and isolation all their lives."
Don’t stick it, stop it!
Children and young people with a learning disability should be able to enjoy life and take part in their community without being scared of bullying. All children and young people with a learning disability have the right to feel safe.
It is not right that children and young people are bullied because they have a learning disability. Mencap wants disablist bullying – when children and young people are bullied because of their disability – to be recognised and treated as seriously as other forms of prejudice-based bullying. The Government, adults, children and young people must take action to stop bullying.
Support the campaign
You can support the campaign by visiting http://www.dontstickit.org.uk/ and making an online sticker to add to our virtual sticker wall. The stickers will be used to show the Government that action needs to be taken to stop children and young people with a learning disability being bullied.
Mencap has developed three short animations to show what it is like to be bullied because you have a learning disability. To view these visit http://www.dontstickit.org.uk/
If you have examples of good practice in tackling disablist bullying, please email campaigns@mencap.org.uk