Social experiences of children with a disability

Ms Louisa Salmon, Discipline of Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University

2:30pm
Friday, 8 July 2011

Lecture Hall D350 (Coffs Harbour campus)
Video-linked to Lecture Hall P158 (Lismore campus) and to A223 (Tweed Heads Gold Coast Riverside campus)

It is estimated that in Australia, one in every ten children is commonly subjected to bullying (Rigby & Slee, 2002). These figures are alarming because bullying is known to cause depression and suicide in children (van der Wal, de Witt, & Hiraising, 2003). For children who have a disability, it is estimated that one in three is bullied (Lightfoot, Wright, & Sloper, 1999).

Research on bullying of disabled children has typically focused on those with mild disabilities (e.g., Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). Research into the social experience of children with severe disabilities has focused more on the positive aspects of social inclusion, such as the implementation of peer support programs rather than on negative aspects, like bullying. Furthermore, research investigating the psychological health of children with severe disabilities is limited because researchers frequently seek data from a disabled child's proxy or parents, rather than consulting the children themselves (e.g., Parkes et al., 2008).

I propose to ask children with and without differing degrees of disabilities about their experiences of bullying. Drawing from Resilience Theory (Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1994) and Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), I will examine whether different levels of social inclusiveness are related to children's ability to cope with negative social situations.

Ms Salmon has a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours from Southern Cross University. She is a PhD candidate and a casual academic at Southern Cross University. She has, for many years, served on the Board of Management for Mid North Coast Community Care Options and Northcott Disability Services Fundraising Committee. She is interested in most aspects of social psychology.

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