ABSTRACT
Cyberbullying affects almost 33% of youth daily. One in five students skips school because of cyberbullying. Neurodiverse youth are more susceptible to cyberbullying than their neurotypical counterparts. The ongoing pandemic has forced an online shift for all activities, with neurodiverse youth being no exception. The online shift makes them prone to increased cyberbullying incidents than pre-pandemic due to increased exposure during mandatory teaching and learning activities, including therapies. This study aims to study the prevalence, experience, and impact of cyberbullying among neurodiverse children during online teaching and learning, especially in the pandemic context, based on parental perceptions. A total of ten parents with neurodiverse children were interviewed to obtain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics mentioned above related to cyberbullying. The analysis revealed that pandemic has adverse effects on their children in general. Cyberbullying seems to be on the rise with minimal support for the neurodiverse community. Surprisingly, safe spaces involving teachers and therapists seem to be involved in bullying as well. Recommendations from the parents include awareness and enforcement of strict laws to curb cyberbullying to the best.
