Which factors make autistic children vulnerable to sibling bullying?

Supervisor: Dr Umar Toseeb

A) Rationale for the project

Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) are characterized by social and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviours, and high sensitivity to sensory stimulus (APA, 2013). In the UK, the prevalence of ASC is estimated at ~1 (Baird et al., 2006). The condition has a number of mental health correlates, which further reduce the quality of life of those affected (Matson & Nebel-Schwalm, 2007).

Autistic children have difficulties in social interactions, such as turn taking in conversation, and deficits in non-verbal communication (APA, 2013). These difficulties have implications for children’s relationships with the people around them. In neurotypical children, good quality sibling relationships are important as they help children develop social skills and are a source of emotional support. However, up to 50% of children have been bullied by their siblings and up to 40% have bullied their siblings (Wolke, Tippett, & Dantchev, 2015). Sibling bullying in childhood is associated with adverse behavioural (Wolke & Samara, 2004; Wolke & Skew, 2011) and worse mental health outcomes (Bowes, Wolke, Joinson, Lereya, & Lewis, 2014). Given the heritable nature of ASC, it might be expected that sibling bullying may be more likely in families in which a child with ASC due to a higher risk of poorer language and communication skills within these families (due to the broader Autism phenotype). Indeed, recent evidence suggests that children with ASC are more likely to bully and be bullied by their siblings compared to children without ASD (Toseeb, McChesney, & Wolke, 2018) and this is associated with various mental health difficulties (Toseeb, McChesney, Oldfield, & Wolke, 2020).

Whilst there are many possible reasons for the increased risk of sibling bullying in families with an autistic child there are no reports on the reasons for this. Therefore, the primary focus of the PhD project will be to understand which factors that make autistic children vulnerable to sibling bullying.

B) References that should be read

Schoeler, T., Choi, S. W., Dudbridge, F., Baldwin, J., Duncan, L., Cecil, C. M., Walton, E., Viding, E., McCrory, E., & Pingault, J. B. (2019). Multi-Polygenic Score Approach to Identifying Individual Vulnerabilities Associated With the Risk of Exposure to Bullying. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0310

Toseeb, U., McChesney, G., & Wolke, D. (2018). The prevalence and psychopathological correlates of sibling bullying in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 2308-2318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3484-2

Toseeb, U., McChesney, G., Oldfield, J., & Wolke, D. (2020). Sibling bullying in middle childhood is associated with psychosocial difficulties in early adolescence: The case of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50, 1457-1469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04116-8

C) Research aims and questions

Which of the characteristics of family members of autistic children affect sibling bullying of autistic children?
How does the attachment style of autistic children and their siblings affect sibling bullying in these families?
What can behaviour genetic methods add to our understanding of sibling bullying in families with an autistic child?

D) Methods

The project is likely to be a combination of primary data collection and secondary analysis of existing data. Families with an autistic child will be recruited from schools and local support services. The specific research questions will be co-designed with families of autistic children. The exact methods of data collection will depend on the specific proposal but would typically involve asking parents, siblings, and the children with ASC to complete questionnaires, validated assessments, and/or take part in interviews. There will also be an opportunity for the successful candidate to conduct secondary analysis of existing behavioural and genetic data, if they wish to do so.