Internet social support for children and adolescents

The Internet is becoming increasingly commonplace in the lives of many young people in Western societies. The numbers of children and adolescents obtaining friendship and support from the Internet are expected to grow substantially. Young people generally require social support to be able to cope well with stress events. Because young people are using information technology at an ever-increasing rate it is important to gain a better understanding of their social support experiences within this technological context. Growing up with a child who has special needs can have adverse consequences for siblings. It can undermine their emotional and psychological wellbeing and social functioning. We have studied the online conversations of young individuals who participated in Sibkids, an online support group for children who have a sibling with special needs