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

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.