within hours, t he video went viral all over the world as people sent love and friendship to a child dealing with unbearable pain. the video is focused on quaden as he tells the camera sobbing, “ i want to die right now,” and at one point says, “i want someone to kill me, get it out of me.” in another heartbreaking moment, he begs for a knife or rope to kill himself.
disability credit canada says that the world has an “issue of epidemic proportions” for youth with disabilities being bullied. a 2019 study by the children and young people with disability australia (cyda) found that 48.2 per cent of students with disabilities experienced bullying in the past year, with 9.1 per cent who said that school staff had been the bullies.
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children with disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than their non-disabled peers, partly due to the lack of peer support. stopbullying says that children with special needs may have difficulty getting around school, communicating and understanding social interactions or may show signs of vulnerability and emotional distress. these challenges are what they say can make them be perceived as different and increase their risk of aggression from their peers.
these feelings of isolation can lead to several social and emotional risks. according to canchild , children who are bullied face a greater chance of feeling depressed, anxious, being lonely or having low self esteem. it can also lead to headaches, problems sleeping, impact their learning and in the most extreme cases — suicidal thoughts or actions.
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