Friends Matter!: The Relationship Between Peer Social Support and Peer Victimization for Students with EBD

Youth with disabilities experience higher rates of bullying victimization than their peers without disabilities, especially students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Therefore, we explored differences between bullying victimization for students with and without disabilities, the mediating, protective role of peer social support, and whether EBD status moderated that mediation. Participants will be able to: 1. Explain the role of peer social support as a mediating factor in the relationship between disability status and peer victimization. 2. Develop a nuanced understanding of how lower levels of peer support among students with IEPs, particularly those with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD), contribute to increased vulnerability to bullying. 3. Interpret results from a Bayesian multilevel mediation model and understand its application to large-scale education research. 4. Learn how to conceptualize, implement, and interpret a moderated mediation analysis using Bayesian methods, including credible intervals and indirect effect estimation, with implications for school-based interventions. 5. Identify and apply practical strategies for enhancing peer support structures in inclusive educational settings. 6. Design or refine policies and practices that foster peer connectedness, such as peer mentoring, cooperative learning, and targeted social-emotional supports for students with disabilities.