The Influence of Childhood Psychological Maltreatment on Mainland China College Students’ Cyberbullying: The Mediating Effect of Moral Disengagement and the Moderating Effect of Moral Identity

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment, Mainland China college students’ cyberbullying, moral disengagement, and moral identity by surveying 200 college students via the Childhood Psychological Maltreatment Scale, the Cyberbullying Questionnaire, the Moral Disengagement Questionnaire, and the Moral Identity Questionnaire. The relationships are summarised from four viewpoints: firstly, childhood psychological maltreatment is significantly positive correlated with college students’ cyberbullying and moral disengagement; secondly, childhood psychological maltreatment has a significant direct effect on their cyberbullying; thirdly, childhood psychological maltreatment has a significant indirect effect on their cyberbullying through moral disengagement; and fourthly, moral identity plays a significant role in the influences of moral disengagement on college students’ cyberbullying. These relationships indicate that moral disengagement partially mediates the influences of childhood psychological maltreatment on college students’ cyberbullying and that moral identity significantly moderates the influences of moral disengagement on college students’ cyberbullying.