Autism Bullying Statistics

28% of autistic students say bullying affects their willingness to attend school—see the autism bullying statistics and the impact behind the numbers.
Niamh WinslowEbba Mäkinen

Written by Niamh Winslow

Fact-checked by Ebba Mäkinen

Statistics
16
Sources
16
Sections
6
Reading time
6 minutes
Bullying can reach autistic students and youth with disabilities both on school property and online, with effects that ripple through attendance, mental health, and learning. In national survey data, autistic students report bullying impacts that can limit school participation, while other findings highlight how often victimization happens online versus in classrooms and hallways. The page also summarizes research on anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation risk—and what prevention approaches show promise.

Key Takeaways

  1. 11.2 million students with disabilities received special education services under IDEA Part B in 2021–22
  2. 228% of autistic students reported bullying affected their willingness to attend school
  3. 312% of students who were bullied reported it occurred online at least once (US national survey, 2021).
  4. 453% of youth with disabilities who were bullied reported it occurred on school property in the 2019–2020 school year (US national survey).
  5. 51 in 5 school-based anti-bullying programs shown in a randomized trial improved students’ outcomes after implementation
  6. 6Bullying victimization was associated with an increased risk of depression among children and adolescents (standardized effect size reported in a meta-analysis of 2016–2020 literature).
  7. 71.0% increase in odds of suicidal ideation associated with bullying exposure was estimated in a meta-analysis of observational studies of adolescent peer victimization (effect reported as increased risk; 2018 systematic review).
  8. 8Classwide interventions targeting bystander behavior showed a 15% median reduction in bullying victimization outcomes in a 2020 systematic review.
  9. 9Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduced bullying perpetration by 16% compared with controls in a controlled evaluation (meta-analytic summary; 2019).
  10. 1072% of parents whose child had been bullied reported worsening school attendance
  11. 1130% of autistic children reported increased anxiety symptoms following bullying
  12. 1244% of students who were bullied reported poorer academic performance
  13. 1370% of autistic adults reported experiencing bullying in school compared with 45% of non-autistic adults in the same survey
  14. 1434% of autistic participants reported cyberbullying

About 28% of autistic students reported bullying affected school attendance, with widespread impacts on mental health.

Related reading

01System And Policy

2
  1. 11.2 million students with disabilities received special education services under IDEA Part B in 2021–22
  2. 228% of autistic students reported bullying affected their willingness to attend school

More related reading

02Industry Overview

4
  1. 112% of students who were bullied reported it occurred online at least once (US national survey, 2021).
  2. 253% of youth with disabilities who were bullied reported it occurred on school property in the 2019–2020 school year (US national survey).
  3. 31 in 5 school-based anti-bullying programs shown in a randomized trial improved students’ outcomes after implementation
  4. 421% of students with disabilities said they did not feel adults at school respond appropriately to bullying (US national survey).

More related reading

03Psychological & Behavioral Impacts

2
  1. 1Bullying victimization was associated with an increased risk of depression among children and adolescents (standardized effect size reported in a meta-analysis of 2016–2020 literature).
  2. 21.0% increase in odds of suicidal ideation associated with bullying exposure was estimated in a meta-analysis of observational studies of adolescent peer victimization (effect reported as increased risk; 2018 systematic review).

04Interventions & Effectiveness

2
  1. 1Classwide interventions targeting bystander behavior showed a 15% median reduction in bullying victimization outcomes in a 2020 systematic review.
  2. 2Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduced bullying perpetration by 16% compared with controls in a controlled evaluation (meta-analytic summary; 2019).

More related reading

05Social And Health Impacts

4
  1. 172% of parents whose child had been bullied reported worsening school attendance
  2. 230% of autistic children reported increased anxiety symptoms following bullying
  3. 344% of students who were bullied reported poorer academic performance
  4. 41.8x higher risk of anxiety was found among individuals exposed to bullying in longitudinal research summarized in a meta-analysis

More related reading

06Autism Bullying Risk

2
  1. 170% of autistic adults reported experiencing bullying in school compared with 45% of non-autistic adults in the same survey
  2. 234% of autistic participants reported cyberbullying

Cite this report

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APA
Niamh Winslow. (2026, September 21). Autism Bullying Statistics. Gaugius. https://gaugius.com/autism-bullying-statistics
MLA
Niamh Winslow. "Autism Bullying Statistics." Gaugius, 21 Sep 2026, https://gaugius.com/autism-bullying-statistics.
Chicago
Niamh Winslow. 2026. "Autism Bullying Statistics." Gaugius. https://gaugius.com/autism-bullying-statistics.

Sources and references

16 datasets cited across this report. Attribution is report-level.

nces.ed.govcdc.govsciencedirect.compsycnet.apa.orgpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govjmir.orgjamanetwork.com

8 additional datasets are cited and not shown individually.