Cyberbullying following cyber-victimization among Chinese children : the role of moral disengagement and normative beliefs about aggression

Abstract

One unintended consequence of the widespread use of the Internet is the emergence of cyberbullying among children, which threatens their social and behavioral development. Recently, researchers have reported a positive relationship between cyber-victimization and cyberbullying in primary school children. While moral disengagement and normative beliefs about aggression predict cyberbullying, it is not clear whether they mediate the association between cyber-victimization and cyberbullying. To address this research gap, we performed a cross-sectional study with a sample of 1,252 children (56.8% boys; mean age = 9.38) from 16 primary schools in Hong Kong, China. Results of structural equation modeling analyses demonstrated that moral disengagement and normative beliefs about aggression served as mediators in the association between cyber-victimization and cyberbullying. Cyber-victimization increased engagement in cyberbullying through higher moral disengagement and stronger normative beliefs about aggression. Gender differences also played a significant role, with cyber-victimized boys more likely to engage in online bullying activities. Overall, the findings contribute to our understanding the development of cyberbullying in children in a non-Western setting. These findings also have implications for developing and implementing intervention programs aimed at protecting children from cyberbullying. Limitations of the study are discussed.