Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Bullying in School Settings: A Narrative Review of Implications for...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social difficulties that may increase vulnerability to bullying during childhood and adolescence. Although previous studies have examined different aspects of this relationship, the available evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, particularly regarding associated factors, profiles of bullying involvement, and implications for prevention and intervention.

To analyze the available evidence regarding bullying involvement in children and adolescents with ADHD, focusing on victimization, perpetration, bully-victim profiles, associated factors, psychological consequences, and implications for prevention and intervention.

A narrative review was conducted using studies identified in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science between January and March 2026, with no publication date restrictions. The search was performed in three independent and consecutive stages and included observational studies evaluating the relationship between ADHD and bullying in children and adolescents. Narrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, editorials, and studies conducted exclusively in adults were excluded.

Seventeen studies were included. The evidence consistently showed that children and adolescents with ADHD have greater involvement in bullying than their peers without ADHD. Victimization was the most consistently reported outcome, although increased perpetration, bully-victim profiles, and cyberbullying were also identified. Bullying involvement appeared to be influenced by multiple interacting factors, including ADHD symptoms, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, comorbidities, peer relationships, family characteristics, and school-related factors. Victimization was consistently associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, emotional difficulties, and poorer quality of life. Emerging evidence also suggests sex-specific patterns of bullying involvement and bidirectional longitudinal relationships between ADHD symptoms and bullying experiences.

Children and adolescents with ADHD may have greater involvement in multiple forms of bullying; however, this relationship appears to be multifactorial rather than solely explained by core ADHD symptoms. Family, peer, and school environments may play important protective roles, highlighting the need for comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies that address both individual and contextual factors.