Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescent Cyberbullying Perpetration: A Moderated Mediation Model of Callous-Unemotional Traits and Perceived Social Support

Psychological maltreatment and substance use among college students: Psychological distress, belongingness, and social support

Substance use in college students is an important public health problem associated with substantial consequences. It is a critical step to examine risk and protective factors associated with substance use to develop prevention and intervention strategies for promoting college students' healthy development and well-being. The present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and substance use and the moderating effect of social support and belongingness in this association among college students. The sample of this cross-sectional study included 382 emerging adults. Participants included 56.8% female and 43.2% male, and they ranged in age between 20 and 29 years (M = 22.05, SD = 2.17). Findings from the study first confirmed that psychological maltreatment was a significant predictor of social support, belongingness, psychological distress, and substance use. Subsequent results revealed that psychological distress mediated the association between psychological maltreatment and college students' substance use. Also, belongingness and social support had a buffering effect on this association. The findings suggest that psychological maltreatment is a significant risk factor in developing substance use behavior and that belongingness and social support services can serve as protective resources. Based on these results, prevention and intervention services focusing on improving the feeling of belonging and social support could be conducive to the decreased substance use of psychologically maltreated emerging adults.

Witnessing family violence and adolescent cyberbullying perpetration: A longitudinal moderated mediation model involving anger dysregulation and teacher support

BACKGROUND

Family violence has been shown to be associated with traditional adolescent bullying perpetration. However, few studies have considered the association between witnessing family violence and adolescent bullying perpetration in cyberspace.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to reveal the mechanism explaining the association between witnessing family violence and adolescent cyberbullying perpetration by testing the mediating effect of anger dysregulation and the moderating effect of teacher support.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants were 751 Chinese adolescents (Mage at Time 1 = 13.25) who completed the measures of witnessing family violence, anger dysregulation, cyberbullying perpetration, and teacher support at three time points over the year.

METHODS

Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of witnessing family violence on adolescent cyberbullying perpetration through anger dysregulation as a mediator and perceived teacher support as a moderator.

RESULTS

The results showed that witnessing family violence at baseline positively predicted adolescent cyberbullying perpetration at T3, and anger dysregulation at T2 partially mediated this association. The positive relation between witnessing family violence and later anger dysregulation was stronger for adolescents who perceived higher levels of teacher support.

CONCLUSIONS

Witnessing family violence could increase the risk for adolescent cyberbullying perpetration, with anger dysregulation mediating this association. The protective effect of perceived teacher support weakens as the levels of witnessing family violence increase. These findings offer insight into the connection between witnessing family violence and adolescent bullying perpetration in the digital age, emphasizing the importance of promoting programs to prevent intrafamilial violence.

Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Online Deviant Behaviors Among College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

With the gradual penetration of the Internet into the study and life of college students, the Internet not only brings convenience to young adults but also becomes a new channel for them to engage in deviant behaviors. This study explores the relationship between stressful life events and college students' online deviant behaviors, as well as the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts and the moderating role of perceived social support. Data is drawn from 448 college students (Mage = 20.10, SDage = 1.74). Results showed that stressful life events were significantly positively correlated with online deviant behaviors, and negative automatic thoughts mediated the relationship between stressful life events and online deviant behaviors. The relationship between stressful life events and online deviant behaviors, as well as that between negative automatic thoughts and online deviant behaviors, were both moderated by perceived social support. This study provides a practical guiding value for effectively preventing and intervening in college students' online deviant behaviors and maintaining the regular order of the online society.

Adolescents High in Callous-Unemotional Traits are Prone to be Bystanders: The Roles of Moral Disengagement, Moral Identity, and Perceived Social Support

Bystanders are the most common role that adolescents play in bullying episodes, they have considerable influence on the formation of the victim's experience and the perpetrator's behavior. Based on the social-cognitive model, the current study examined the mediating role of moral disengagement in the association between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior and the moderating roles of moral identity and perceived social support. Participants included 2,286 Chinese adolescents aged 11-16 years (49.3% boys; Mage = 13.46, SDage = 0.93). The study showed callous-unemotional traits were significantly and positively associated with bystander behavior and this relation was partially mediated by moral disengagement. Moral identity moderated the relation between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement as well as callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior. Perceived social support moderated in the direct and indirect associations between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior via moral disengagement. The relation between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement and the relation between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior became weaker for adolescents with high perceived social support. Surprisingly, the relation between moral disengagement and bystander behavior became stronger for adolescents with a high level of perceived social support. The results supported two specific patterns of perceived social support: stress-buffering and reverse stress-buffering. The present study contributes to our understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the association between callous-unemotional traits and adolescents' bystander behavior.

The Mediating Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits in the Relationship between Parental Aggression and Behavioral Problems among Chinese Preschoolers

It is well known that aggressive parenting is associated with behavioral problems among Western children in their early childhood, but this has rarely been examined among Chinese preschoolers. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between aggressive parenting, callous-unemotional traits (CU traits), and behavioral problems among a large Chinese preschool sample. Data were collected in Wuhu city, China, from 1879 preschoolers (54% of whom were male) with a mean age of 65.66 months (standard deviation = 9.41). Parents provided information about the frequency of aggressive parenting, children's behaviors, and demographic characteristics via an online questionnaire. Mediation models were applied to analyze the associations between aggressive parenting, CU traits, and behavioral problems. Preschoolers' age, gender, and family socioeconomic status were considered as covariates. The findings of our study revealed that higher frequencies of parental psychological and physical aggression were associated with high levels of CU traits, which were related to increased levels of preschoolers' behavioral problems. This study extends previous studies by revealing a positive relationship between aggressive parenting and behavioral problems among Chinese preschoolers via CU traits and highlights the risks of aggressive parenting. Interventions for improving parenting strategies and lessening callous-unemotional traits should be developed to help reduce behavioral problems.

Parental attachment and emotional intelligence mediates the effect of childhood maltreatment on callous-unemotional traits among incarcerated male adolescents

This study aimed to examine the impact of childhood maltreatment on callous-unemotional (CU) traits among incarcerated male adolescents, focusing primarily on the roles of parental attachment and emotional intelligence. A total of 454 male incarcerated adolescents from two juvenile correctional facilities, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years, completed a set of questionnaires consisting of a childhood trauma questionnaire, parent-attachment scale, emotional intelligence scale, and the Inventory of CU traits. The results revealed that childhood maltreatment, parental attachment, and emotional intelligence were all correlated with CU traits. Structural equation modeling analysis and the bootstrap test indicated that parental attachment and emotional intelligence mediated, in part, the effect of childhood maltreatment on CU traits. These findings expand the outcomes of previous research and shed light on how childhood maltreatment is related to CU traits.

Childhood emotional abuse and cyberbullying perpetration among Chinese university students: The chain mediating effects of self-esteem and problematic social media use

Childhood abuse has been shown to have a range of adverse physical and psychological consequences, including aggression and bullying. While researchers have explored the relationship between childhood abuse and cyberbullying, little is known about the impact of emotional abuse on cyberbullying. This study examined the link between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and cyberbullying perpetration among university students in the Chinese cultural context, as well as the chain mediating effect of self-esteem and Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU). A total of 835 university students (18-25 years old; 293 males, 542 females; M _age = 19.44 years, SD = 1.28) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short-Form (CTQ-SF), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Social Media Use Questionnaire (SMUQ), and Cyberbullying Inventory (CBI). The results showed that CEA and PSMU were positively correlated with cyberbullying; self-esteem was negatively correlated with cyberbullying. Besides, self-esteem and PSMU sequentially mediated the relationship between CEA and cyberbullying perpetration. The findings indicate that childhood emotional abuse may lower self-esteem and cause problematic social media use, which increases cyberbullying perpetration.

The relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying behaviors: A moderated mediating model

Based on the General Strain Theory and the moderating role model of social support, the present study explored the relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying and further explored the mediating role of moral justification and the moderating role of online social support. This model was examined with 660 Chinese college students. Participants completed questionnaires regarding cyber upward social comparison, cyberbullying, moral justification, and online social support. After basic demographic variables were controlled, cyber upward social comparison was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying. Moral justification played a mediating role in the relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying. The mediating effect of moral justification on the relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying was moderated by online social support. The results of this study will provide references for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying.

Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescents' Aggression: A Moderated Mediation Model of Callous-Unemotional Traits and Friendship Quality

A growing body of research has documented that childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk of child aggression. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the relationships between childhood maltreatment and reactive and proactive functions of aggression. Therefore, the present study examined whether callous-unemotional traits mediated the relationships between childhood maltreatment and two subtypes of aggression and whether these mediating processes were moderated by friendship quality. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2407 adolescents between 11 and 16 years (M _age = 12.75, SD = .58) in Shanxi province, China. Participants filled out questionnaires regarding childhood maltreatment, callous-unemotional traits, aggression, and friendship quality. The results indicated that childhood maltreatment was significantly and positively associated with proactive and reactive aggression, and these relationships were partially mediated by callous-unemotional traits after controlling for demographic variables. Friendship quality moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and proactive aggression as well as callous-unemotional traits and proactive aggression. These relationships became weaker for adolescents with high levels of friendship quality. Friendship quality did not moderate the effects of childhood maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits on reactive aggression.

Effects of Stressors of COVID-19 on Chinese College Students' Problematic Social Media Use: A Mediated Moderation Model

PURPOSE

Isolation policies are long-term and strictly enforced in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Social media might be widely used for communication, work, understanding the development of the epidemic, etc. However, these behaviors might lead to problematic social media use. The present study investigated the effect of stressors of COVID-19 on problematic social media use, as well as the internal mechanisms involved.

METHODS

One thousand three hundred seventy-three Chinese college students (M _age = 19.53, SD _age = 1.09) were recruited randomly from four grades who completed Coronavirus Stress Scale, Fear of Missing Out Scale, Problematic Mobile Social Media Usage Assessment Questionnaire, and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale.

RESULTS

Stressors of COVID-19 were positively related to problematic social media use. The link between stressors of COVID-19 and problematic social media use was mediated by fear of missing out. Additionally, the association between fear of missing out and problematic social media use, as well as the association between stressors of COVID-19 and problematic social media use were moderated by regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION

The current findings reveal the mechanism that may be used to reduce the likelihood of problematic social media use in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. To prevent and intervene in problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study stressed the importance of decreasing the fear of missing out and enhancing regulatory emotional self-efficacy.