Key Social Norms Take-aways Community gender norms—particularly those reinforcing gender inequality, violence acceptability, and rigid gender roles—shape adolescents’ vulnerability to bullying by influencing how “difference” (such as disability) is perceived and sanctioned. The discussion highlights that bullying operates as a mechanism for enforcing social norms, where adolescents with disabilities are seen as deviating from dominant ideals of masculinity (strength, dominance) or femininity (passivity, caregiving). In more gender-unequal contexts, these norms intensify stigma and legitimize peer violence, demonstrating that social norms function at the community level to amplify risks for marginalized groups and must be addressed to reduce school-based violence.

Objectives The study aimed to examine the association between disability status and bullying victimization among adolescents in Nepal, and to assess whether community gender norms moderate this relationship, including differences by gender.

Methods The study used cross-sectional quantitative data from 593 school-going adolescents across 19 municipalities in Nepal. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between disability (measured using the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning) and bullying victimization (measured using the Reduced-Aggression-Victimization Scale). Community gender norms were measured using a 16-item scale capturing perceptions of gender roles, violence, and help-seeking, aggregated at the community level. Moderation analyses and gender-stratified models were used to examine differences in effects.

Results Adolescents with disabilities had significantly higher odds of experiencing bullying victimization compared to their nondisabled peers. Community gender norms significantly moderated this relationship: adolescents with disabilities living in communities with more gender-inequitable norms faced a substantially higher risk of bullying. While boys and girls had similar overall likelihoods of bullying victimization, subgroup analyses showed that the association between disability and bullying was stronger and statistically significant for boys. These findings indicate that both disability status and broader normative environments jointly shape bullying risk.

Conclusions The study concludes that bullying victimization among adolescents with disabilities is driven not only by individual vulnerability but also by harmful community-level gender norms. Interventions should prioritize gender-sensitive school environments, address disability stigma, and target broader normative systems that reinforce inequality and violence. Addressing social norms is essential for reducing bullying and promoting safer, more inclusive environments for adolescents in low- and middle-income settings.