Association of parenting behaviours and online risk‐taking in adolescents with ADHD

Abstract

This study explored the role of caregivers in promoting Internet safety among adolescents (n = 58; 13–16 years old) diagnosed with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the United States. Teen participants reported their cyberbullying and sexting behaviours and their parents’ knowledge and monitoring of their online activities; parent‐reported opposition‐defiant disorder symptoms were also collected. Teens reported their parents monitored their Internet behaviours in a variety of ways; however, the only variables associated with decreased online risk behaviours were the teens’ perception of their parents’ general knowledge of their online engagements. Parent‐reported teen oppositional behaviours did not alter results. Cultivating communicative parent–teen relationships may be the most beneficial strategy in promoting online safety.

Exploring Online Sexual Abuse and Risky Sexual Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis of Adolescents with ADHD and Healthy Controls

“…When examining the relationship between the Conners Parent Rating Scale scores and online sexual victimization and risky sexual behaviors in adolescents with ADHD, it was found that adolescents who were victims of online sexual victimization had signi cantly higher average scores on the Oppositional, Social Problems, and Emotional Lability subscales compared to adolescents who were not victims of online sexual victimization. Previous studies have shown that oppositional behavior in adolescents with ADHD is closely associated with risky behaviors and conduct disorders (41,51). We believe that oppositional behaviors may predispose individuals to becoming more vulnerable to online sexual victimization due to a lack of control and becoming easy targets in social environments.…”

“…While some studies suggest that inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity are risk factors for online sexual victimization, there is no study that directly compares them with the severity of ADHD symptoms. (51,52). In a study in the literature that investigated the relationship between ADHD-diagnosed adolescents and problematic internet use and gaming disorder using the Conners Parent Rating Scale, only the inattention subscale score was found to be associated with these behaviors (53).…”