OBJECTIVE: Cyberbullying or its victimization reported previously at a higher rate within adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might have related with their social reciprocity or online cognition deficits.
Methods: In this study, problematic internet use and social reciprocity was evaluated with social reciprocity scale (SRS) and online cognition scale (OCS) in 124 adolescents (65 ADHD and 59 healthy counterparts).
Results: Of 37.1% were cyberbullies (which 60.9% of them had ADHD) and 61.3% had cyberbully-victims (which 56.6% of them had ADHD). All SRS subscale scores as well as all OCS subscale scores (except distraction) were found to be higher in adolescent with ADHD compared to the control. In ADHD group, all subscales of the SRS (except stereotypes and autism) were higher in not-cyber victims.
Conclusion: ADHD is a risk factor on the basis of inappropriate social reciprocity in cyberbullying. Adolescents with ADHD display problematic online cognition and social reciprocity even they are not cyberbullies or cyber-victims. Social interventions addressing to solve this issue might be helpful for not-being cyberbully or cyber-victim in adolescents with ADHD. Further studies are to be needed.