The effect of traditional bullying-victimization on behaviour cyberbullying among college students: Based on the structural equation mode / El efecto de la victimización por acoso tradicional en las conductas de ciberacoso entre estudiantes universitarios: un estudio basado en el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales

Abstract

The study aimed to establish an explanatory model for the effect of traditional bullying victimization on cyberbullying behaviour. The sample was composed of 354 college students (50% male and female) aged 17 to 24 (M = 19.54, SD = 1.21) enrolled in three universities in Shandong province, China. They were investigated using the questionnaires of Bullied Scale, Moral Disengagement Scale, Perceived Anonymity Scale and Cyberbullying scale. Structural equation model was conducted to identify the effect of traditional bully-victimization on cyberbullying behaviour and the mediating role of moral disengagement, as well as the moderating role of perceived anonymity of cyberspace. In this sample, traditional bully victimization may lead the college students to engage in cyberbullying behaviour positively. Moral disengagement was the mediator between traditional bully victimization and cyberbullying behaviour. The perceived anonymity of cyberspace was the moderator between traditional bully victimization and cyberbullying behaviour. College students who were victims of traditional bullying showed a higher tendency of becoming cyberbullying assaulters via the partial influence of moral disengagement, and the effect was magnified by the perceived anonymity of cyberspace.