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About one in a hundred kids struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder-an anxiety disorder that drives them to perform rituals such as repeated handwashing.

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Now new research shows that children with OCD are three times more likely to come under fire from grade-school bullies than students who don't have the disorder. U-F experts studied fifty-two children who had OCD, and for comparison, fifty-two children who had type one diabetes and fifty-two who had no medical condition. More than one-quarter of kids with OCD reported high levels of bullying-or the equivalent of one taunt per day-while only nine percent of other kids reported the same level of bullying. Researchers say one reason might be that kids often target peers who seem different.

Dr. Eric Storch / UF psychologist

"Kids target kids who are different. That's kind of a basic rule that we've seen. And kids with OCD sometimes exhibit behaviors that peers simply don't understand."

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What's worse, singling-out a child or name-slinging can also cause symptoms of OCD to intensify. Bullying can worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety and loneliness in kids with OCD. These added emotional problems can in turn make OCD more severe. Experts say putting a stop to bullying could help improve OCD symptoms.

Dr. Eric Storch / UF psychologist

"Without addressing peer variables… being picked on… some of the co-occurring problems we see in OCD quite often may not be addressed and may simply stay unresolved…so addressing peer variables holds importance in terms of looking at the child as complete person."

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At the University of Florida Health Science Center, I'm Mike Garrison