Cyberbullying perpetration: an empirical test of social learning theory in Iran

ABSTRACT

To test social learning theory’s ability to explain Iranian sports fans’ decision to engage in cyberbullying perpetration against rivals, a random sample of 464 students from an Iranian university is employed. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze these data. Findings suggest that cyberbullying against rivals is significantly predicted by differential association, definitions, imitation, and differential reinforcement. In addition, differential association also has direct effects on definitions, imitation, and differential reinforcement, and from these paths, indirect effects (partial mediation) on cyberbullying perpetration.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seyyed Masoomeh (Shamila) Shadmanfaat

Seyyed Masoomeh (Shamila) Shadmanfaat earned her master degree in Sociology at University of Guilan (2016). She has published several papers about sociology and criminology of sport with a focus on gender differences. Her current research interests involve gender sport criminology

C. Jordan Howell

C. Jordan Howell is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida. He studies the causes and correlates of offending in cyberspace. His current research explores the predictive ability of traditional criminological theories in the cyber-environment.

Caitlyn N. Muniz

Caitlyn N. Muniz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Texas at El Paso. Her main research interests involve victimization, campus sexual assault, and applying criminological theories to victimization. She has published on a variety of topics such as sex offenders, perceptions and consequences of child abuse, and the death penalty.

John K. Cochran

John K. Cochran is Professor of Criminology at the University of South Florida. Professor Cochran earned his Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Florida (1987). He has over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts most of which involve tests of micro-social theories of criminal behavior and macro-social theories of crime and crime control. His current research interests involve tests of micro-social theories of criminal behavior. He is also continuing his work on issues associated with the death penalty.

Saeed Kabiri

Saeed Kabiri earned his master degree in Sociology at University of Cuillan (2012) and earned his PhD degree in social problems of Iran at University of Mazandaran (2017). He has published several papers about the sociology and criminology of sports. His current research interests involve sport criminology.

Eva M. Fontaine

Eva M. Fontaine is a Ph.D. student in the department of Criminology at the University of South Florida. Her research interests include the mental illness-criminal justice nexus, criminalization of homelessness, policy and program evaluation, homicide and capital punishment, and vice crimes.