Moral Disengagement, Empathy, and Cybervictim’s Representation as Predictive Factors of Cyberbullying among Italian Adolescents

Maria Lidia Mascia, Mirian Agus, Maria Assunta Zanetti, Maria Luisa Pedditzi, Dolores Rollo, Mirko Lasio and Maria Pietronilla Penna
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Maria Lidia Mascia: Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanistic Studies, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Mirian Agus: Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanistic Studies, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Maria Assunta Zanetti: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
Maria Luisa Pedditzi: Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanistic Studies, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Dolores Rollo: Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
Mirko Lasio: Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanistic Studies, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Maria Pietronilla Penna: Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Humanistic Studies, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate which aspects of moral disengagement (MD), empathy, and representations of the victim’s experience (VER) could be predictors of cyberbullying (CB). One hundred and eight-nine students (11–17 years old) completed 3 self-report questionnaires: An MD scale, an empathy scale, and a CB questionnaire. In relation to the personal experience of CB, four groups were identified: Victim, bully, bully/victim, and no experience with CB. The linear bivariate correlation analysis shows correlations between empathy and VER, between empathy and MD, and between MD and VER. A multinomial logistic regression identified which predictors could increase a subject’s probability of belonging to one of the four groups regarding the personal experience of CB (victim, bully, bully/victim, no experience). Findings highlighted that low cognitive empathy might increase the probability for a student to belong to the bullies’ group, rather than the victims’ group. Furthermore, low perception of the consequences of CB on the victim might increase the probability of belonging to the bully, bully/victim, and no experience groups. Then, a high score in the diffusion of responsibility was a significant predictor of belonging to the victim group rather than the no experience group. Results from this study confirm the need for preventive measures against CB, including the empowerment of cognitive empathy, decreasing the diffusion of responsibility, and increasing the awareness of the consequences of CB on the victim.

Keywords: moral disengagement; cyberbullying; empathy; cybervictim; adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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