"They Keep Thinking I'm Bad, so I Look at My Strengths": Navigating Bullying as Young Persons with Disabilities in...

Young persons with disabilities (YPWDs) are disproportionately targeted by bias-based bullying due to stigma, perceived difference, and systemic ableism. While global literature documents this risk, there is limited qualitative research from non-Western contexts that center the lived experiences of YPWDs. This study addresses that gap by exploring the retrospective narratives of 22 adults in Singapore who experienced bias-based bullying during their schooling years. Using phenomenological research design and inductive thematic analysis, the study uncovers how bias-based bullying was experienced not as isolated incidents but as chronic, intersecting forms of harm, including verbal taunts, physical aggression, social exclusion, and cyberbullying. These experiences reinforced feelings of inferiority and altered participants' sense of belonging and identity during formative years. Findings highlight the lasting emotional toll of bias-based bullying, including mental health struggles, school disengagement, and diminished self-esteem, with effects persisting into adulthood. Yet, several participants also described processes of resistance and identity reclamation, reframing their disabilities as strengths and developing resilience over time. The study contributes to growing calls for inclusive, culturally grounded approaches to disability, education, and anti-bullying interventions. It urges schools to move beyond individual behavior management to address the structural and cultural forces that perpetuate exclusion. This includes examining institutional practices, increasing disability visibility and representation, and co-creating strategies with YPWDs. In centering the voices of disabled individuals in Singapore, the study affirms their expertise in shaping responses to bias-based bullying and offers critical insight into the emotional and developmental costs of ableism across the life course.