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The brief explains how politicized attitudes toward masking can spill into classrooms, leading to stigma, discrimination, and targeted harassment of students perceived as “different.” It outlines school strategies to prevent and intervene, with a focus on students with disabilities, individualized education programs (IEPs), and 504 plans, emphasizing non-interference with educational access and appropriate evaluations.",{"@graph":69,"@context":121},[70,84,104],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/brief-students-bullied-over-mask-wearing-what-schools-need-to-know-to-prevent-and-address-the-problem/585747/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":98,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":99,"interactionStatistic":100},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/brief-students-bullied-over-mask-wearing-what-schools-need-to-know-to-prevent-and-address-the-problem/585747.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Riley West","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":101,"interactionType":102,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":103},"ViewAction",{"@type":105,"mainEntity":106},"FAQPage",[107,113,117],{"name":108,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":110},"Why are some students bullied for wearing masks when mask-wearing is optional?","Question",{"text":111,"@type":112},"Students may pick up negative attitudes about masks and be targeted at school, especially those perceived as “different.” The brief notes that even students who were not previously bullied can become targets if they continue masking.","Answer",{"name":114,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":115},"What does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend regarding masks in schools?",{"text":116,"@type":112},"The brief states that unvaccinated children and those with special healthcare needs should still wear masks, and that staff and students who choose to wear masks should be supported.",{"name":118,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":119},"How should schools handle bullying involving students with disabilities (SWD) and IEP/504 plans?",{"text":120,"@type":112},"Schools must ensure steps to address bullying do not affect a student’s IEP or 504 plan. The IEP team should decide appropriate actions, and schools should consider additional services and whether evaluations or programming changes are warranted.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":123,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":125,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":127,"site_id":62},585747,1792078236,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":130},{"doc_id":127,"user_id":131,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":24,"language":138,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":142,"read_time":143},1099523885074,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Brief  \nStudents Bullied Over  \nMask-Wearing: What Schools Need to Know to Prevent and Address the Problem  \n_Introduction  \nMany educators, parents, and students are feeling a sense of relief as schools across the United States return to fulltime, in-person learning. After months or years of remote and hybrid learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are benefiting from increased socialization, improved access to services, and a return to their regular routines.  \nWhile all students should be returning to safe, stable learning environments after their lives were upended by the pandemic, for some students, being back in school may mean returning to an environment in which they were bullied. Even kids who previously were not bullied may find themselves targeted if they have to (or want to) continue to wear a mask when mask-wearing is optional in schools.  \nEducators are concerned about students being bullied for wearing a mask in school. This brief provides an overview of the problem of bullying over mask-wearing, as well as strategies for schools to prevent and intervene in bullying.  \n“In addition to the academic and social engagement schools provide, they also offer critical services and benefits that include school supported resources like meal programs, special education, mental health services, and childcare.… There are also children who enjoyed or even thrived during virtual learning because they were separated from children who have bullied them. Returning to in-person school may be stressful for them, fearing that they might experience bullying yet again.”  \n[StopBullying.gov](StopBullying.gov)  \nMask Bullying: What Educators Need to Know   \nWearing a mask to protect oneself and others from COVID-19 has become a politicized, polarizing issue across the United States. It is not uncommon to hear about public arguments regarding mask-wearing and retail establishments or restaurants refusing service to customers who wear or do not wear a mask.  \nWith many adults expressing strong opinions on whether masks are effective, kids can pick up on these negative attitudes and behaviors. These views are spilling over into schools, with parents concerned that their children are being bullied about mask-wearing.  \nThe American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that unvaccinated children and  \nthose with special healthcare needs still wear masks in schools and that staff and students who choose to wear masks be supported in their decision.  \nStudents may continue to wear a mask for any of a number of reasons, even if their school does not mandate mask-wearing. For example, students may choose to continue masking as a protective measure. They may be at higher risk of COVID-19 complications if they have a disability or other health concern or are inclose contact with someone else who is high risk. For  \nstudents who have anxiety or special needs, wearing a mask may give some measure of comfort or feeling of control after months of uncertainty during the height of the pandemic. Also, wearing a mask is not always a student’s decision: A parent, guardian, or physician may have instructed them to wear a mask.  \nWhile there is no specific warning sign that puts a student at a higher risk for bullying, students who are perceived as “different” are often targeted. Kids who wear masks when most of their school has gone mask-free are squarely in that category.  \nAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,“Stigma, discrimination, or bullying may arise due to wearing or not wearing a [mask] . Schools should have a plan to prevent and address harmful or inappropriate behavior.”  \nConsiderations for Students With Disabilities  \nStudents with disabilities (SWD) can be especially vulnerable to bullying. SWD may have health issues that place them at high risk for complications due to COVID-19 and, therefore, more likely to wear a mask in school, increasing their risk of being bullied.  \nDavid Bateman, PhD, professor of special edu","cbCait4r6tdWSPqe","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCait4r6tdWSPqe","pdf",320851,"English","# Introduction\n# Mask Bullying: What Educators Need to Know\n# Considerations for Students With Disabilities","[{\"question\":\"Why are some students bullied for wearing masks when mask-wearing is optional?\",\"answer\":\"Students may pick up negative attitudes about masks and be targeted at school, especially those perceived as “different.” The brief notes that even students who were not previously bullied can become targets if they continue masking.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend regarding masks in schools?\",\"answer\":\"The brief states that unvaccinated children and those with special healthcare needs should still wear masks, and that staff and students who choose to wear masks should be supported.\"},{\"question\":\"How should schools handle bullying involving students with disabilities (SWD) and IEP/504 plans?\",\"answer\":\"Schools must ensure steps to address bullying do not affect a student’s IEP or 504 plan. The IEP team should decide appropriate actions, and schools should consider additional services and whether evaluations or programming changes are warranted.\"}]","Brief - Students Bullied Over Mask-Wearing: What Schools Need to Know to Prevent and Address the Problem | PDF",1792055735,13]