Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship between Internet Addiction and Cyberbullying Perpetration: A Moderated Mediation Model of Moral Disengagement and Internet Literacy

Wan Xiao^1,*, Miaoting Cheng^2,*

1 Department of Educational Technology, School of Education Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
2 Department of Educational Technology, Faculty of Education, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China

* Corresponding Authors: Wan Xiao. Email: ; Miaoting Cheng. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2023, 25(12), 1303-1311. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2023.042976

Received 18 June 2023; Accepted 12 October 2023; Issue published 29 December 2023

Abstract

Internet addiction and cyberbullying have emerged as significant global mental health concerns in recent years. Although previous studies have shown a close association between Internet addiction and cyberbullying, the underlying mechanisms connecting these two phenomena remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the mechanisms involved between Internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration from the perspective of cognition function. This study recruited 976 Chinese youth through online survey, using the short version of Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT), Chinese Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (C-CIPQ), Cyberbullying Moral Disengagement Scale (CMDS), and Internet Literacy Questionnaire (ILQ) to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction, moral disengagement, Internet literacy and cyberbullying perpetration. The key findings of this study were as follows: after controlling gender and age, (1) Internet addiction had a significant positive predictive effect on cyberbullying perpetration; (2) moral disengagement acted as a mediator between Internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration; and (3) Internet literacy played a moderating role between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration. In conclusion, there was a moderated mediating effect between Internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration, contributing to a better understanding of the relationship between these two phenomena.

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Keywords

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