Exposure to Online Game Violence and Cyberbullying among Chinese Adolescents: Normative Beliefs about Aggression as a Mediator and Trait Aggressiveness as a Moderator

Abstract

Cyberbullying has become a common social phenomenon all over the world. Online game violence has been recognized as a risk factor for adolescents to perpetrate cyberbullying. The present study investigated normative beliefs about aggression (NOBAG) as a mediator and trait aggressiveness (TA) as a moderator in the relation between exposure to online game violence and cyberbullying. A sample of 703 Chinese adolescents aged from 12 to 15 years (M = 13.38, SD = 0.76) completed measures of research variables. Results indicated that after controlling for gender, age, and online time, NOBAG partially mediated the relationship between exposure to online game violence and cyberbullying. In addition, TA moderated the direct effect of exposure to online game violence on cyberbullying and the mediation effect of NOBAG, with these effects being stronger for adolescents with higher TA. This study can extend our knowledge about how and for whom online game violence is related to cyberbullying. Study limitations and implications for related interventions on cyberbullying are discussed.