The role of parental stress and knowledge of condition on incidences of bullying and ostracism among children with ADHD

ABSTRACT

This investigation explored the relation between parental stress and knowledge of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on bullying and ostracism in children. Children diagnosed with ADHD have been shown to be more likely to be bullied than peers as well as being ostracized (Bastien, 2013; Fogleman et al., 2016; Taylor et al., 2010). Decreased parental stress and greater knowledge of ADHD are hypothesized to be associated with reduced reports of bullying and ostracism. Participants (n = 29) completed measures assessing parental stress, knowledge of condition, and measures of victimization. Significant relationships were found among markers of parental stress and child’s severity of inattention and hyperactivity. Parents of children who reported increased victimization were more likely to report increased parental stress. Finally, knowledge of ADHD was associated with reductions in incidences of being bullied and ostracized. Implications for practice and practitioners are discussed.

Acknowledgement

This work was sponsored by Fulbright Canada through the Fulbright Palix Distinguished Chair in Brain Science and Child and Family Wellness and also Citadel Foundation provided support during my sabbatical when I worked on this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.