Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has become a prevalent problem for our children with ADHD. One of the activities where our children experience hyperfocus is working on the computer. They do their homework on the computer, as they should, but they also travel to various sites, some of which are worrisome. I have spoken before about helping our children to become independent, and making their own decisions. That being said, some of their decisions may be risky. How can a parent encourage their child to become independent while at the same time supervise their time on the computer?

First of all, determine whether or not your child has been affected by cyberbullying. Do you remember that we discussed the body language and behavior that you should watch for in terms of determining whether or not your child has been bullied? In terms of cyberbullying, watch out for similar behaviors. 

Additionally, notice if your child is upset after coming off of the computer. Does he exit quickly and go to be by himself in his room? Is he upset after reading some of his text messages on his cell phone? When you ask him what he was reading or doing on the computer, does he refuse to discuss what he was doing? Has he been spending more hours than usual on either the computer or his cell phone? Does he quickly close his browser when you approach him?

If you can affirm any of those questions, then it is possible that your child is being cyberbullied. What can you do about it? Check my next post.