Cumulative risk and school bullying experiences: Effects of moral disengagement and gender

Abstract

We examined the mediation effect of moral disengagement in the association between children’s cumulative risk and high experience of school bullying. Additionally, we determined whether this mediating process was moderated by gender. A sample of 509 Chinese adolescent school students (female = 39.50%; mean age = 13.02 years, SD = 0.86 years) completed the measures of cumulative risk (parent-child relationship, friend support, and school connectedness), moral disengagement, and school bullying. Path analysis results revealed that the association between cumulative risk and high school bullying was mediated by moral disengagement. Moreover, the mediating effect of moral disengagement was moderated by gender, with the effect being stronger for boys. The findings are consistent with the model of “environmental factors→moral disengagement→aggressive behavior” hypothesis.

Keywords:

• cumulative risk
• gender
• moral disengagement
• school bullying