Traditional Bullying Victimization and Cyberbullying Perpetration: the Role of Anger Rumination and Self-Control.

BACKGROUND

The transition from being a victim of traditional bullying to engaging in cyberbullying is an emerging area of research. However, not all adolescents who experience traditional bullying go on to perpetrate cyberbullying. Grounded in the General Aggression Model, this study investigates the longitudinal association between traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration, focusing on the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

In a longitudinal design, 442 middle school students (49.80% female, Mage = 13.02, SD = 0.85) completed a survey including the Victim Scale, Anger Rumination Scale, Self-Control Scale, and Cyberbullying Scale at baseline enrollment and at six-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Key findings include: (1) T1 Traditional bullying victimization did not directly predict later T2 cyberbullying perpetration; (2) T2 Anger rumination mediated the relationship between T1 traditional bullying victimization and T2 cyberbullying perpetration; (3) T1 Self-control moderated the link between T2 anger rumination and T2 cyberbullying perpetration, with stronger association observed in adolescents with lower self-control.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight crucial pathways from traditional bullying victimization to cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents.