A Qualitative Investigation of Bullying of Individuals with Disabilities on a College Campus

The purpose of this study was to understand how individuals with disabilities experience bullying at a large university. This research consisted of a pilot study of two participants and the main study of seven participants. Each person participated in three semi-structured interviews that lasted between 10-60 minutes. The results of the study found that each participant experienced bullying in elementary school or high school. Every participant experienced bullying in college, with five of the seven participants experiencing bullying directly related to their disabilities. Past and current experiences of bullying influenced participants' relationships with peers and interactions within the collegiate environment. Some of the participants reported that peers provided an important role in coping with bullying while attending college, and addressed a need to feel safe across different environments. The results of this study reinforced a need to understand how minorities, specifically people with disabilities, experience bullying on college campuses. Colleges need to begin to create and implement bullying prevention programs that clearly outline supports at their respective institutions. Finally, disability student support services need to collaborate to ensure students feel comfortable reporting bullying in a safe, anonymous manner that provides the victim with opportunities to cope with the aggressive events.