Psychological Development and Education ›› 2017, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (1): 65-75.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2017.01.08

Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Association between Psychological Abuse and Neglect and Adolescents' Aggressive Behavior: The Mediating and Moderating Role of the Moral Disengagement

SUN Lijun1,2, DU Hongqin2, NIU Gengfeng1, LI Junyi1, HU Xiangen1   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education;School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079;
    2. Department of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 473000
  • Online:2017-01-15 Published:2017-01-15

PDF (PC)

Abstract: Based on the General Aggression Model(GAM) and individual-contex model, the present study examined the association between psychological abuse and neglect and adolescent' aggression behavior, as well as the role of moral disengagement. A sample of 696 adolescents completed the Psychological Abuse and Neglect Scale, Adolescent Moral Disengagement Scale and Aggressive Behavior Scale. Results revealed that:(1) Psychological abuse and neglect was positively correlated with aggressive behavior and moral disengagement, and moral disengagement was also positively correlated with aggressive behavior. (2) Moral disengagement played a partially mediating role in the association between psychological abuse and neglect and aggressive behavior;No significant gender difference in the mediating effect was observed,but significant age difference was observed. Moral disengagement played a partially mediating role among middle school students,and played a fully mediating role among high school students.(3) The moderating role of moral disengagement in the association between psychological abuse and neglect and aggressive behavior was insignificant.Significant gender difference in the moderating role was found,but significant age difference was not observed. The moderating role of moral disengagement was insignificant among male students,but significant among female students.

Key words: adolescents, psychological abuse and neglect, moral disengagement, aggressive behavior

CLC Number: 

  • B844

Allen, B. (2011). Childhood psychological abuse and adult aggression:The mediating role of self-capacities. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(10), 2093-2110.

Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Psychology, 53(1), 27.

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy:Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191-215.

Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (1996). Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71 (2), 364-374.

Barchia, K., & Bussey, K. (2011). Individual and collective social cognitive influences on peer aggression:Exploring the contribution of aggression efficacy, moral disengagement, and collective efficacy. Aggressive Behavior, 37(2), 107-120.

Barsky. A. (2011). Investigating the effects of moral disengagement and participation on unethical work behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 104(1), 59-75.

Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992). The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(3), 452-459.

Calvete, E., Orue, I., Estévez, A., Villardón, L., & Padilla, P. (2010). Cyberbullying in adolescents:Modalities and aggressors' profile. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(5), 1128-1135.

Caravita, S. S., Gini, G., & Pozzoli, T. (2012). Main and moderated effects of moral cognition and status on bullying and defending. Aggressive Behavior, 38(6), 456-468.

Egan, V., Hughes, N., & Palmer, E. J. (2015). Moral disengagement, the dark triad, and unethical consumer attitudes. Personality & Individual Differences, 76(76), 123-128.

Flores, E., Cicchetti, D., & Rogosch, F. A. (2005). Predictors of resilience in maltreated and nonmaltreated Latino children. Developmental Psychology, 41(2), 338-351.

Ford, J. D., Chapman, J., Connor, D. F., & Cruise, K. R. (2012). Complex trauma and aggression in secure juvenile justice settings. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39(6), 694-724.

Garay, F. R., Carrasco, M. A., & Amor, P. J. (2016). Aggression, anger and hostility:Evaluation of moral disengagement as a mediational process. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 57(2), 129-135.

Gini, G., & Pozzoli, T. (2013). Bullied children and psychosomatic problems:a meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 132(4), 720-729.

Gini, G., Pozzoli, T., & Bussey, K. (2015a). The role of individual and collective moral disengagement in peer aggression and bystanding:A multilevel analysis. Journal of abnormal child psychology. 43(3), 441-452.

Gini, G., Pozzoli, T., & Bussey, K. (2015b). Moral disengagement moderates the link between psychopathic traits and aggressive behavior among early adolescents. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 61(1), 51-67.

Gini, G., Pozzoli, T., & Hymel, S. (2014). Moral disengagement among children and youth:A meta-analytic review of links to aggressive behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 40(1), 56-68.

Gini, G., Pozzoli, T., Vieno, A., & Lenzi, M. (2014). Bullying victimization at school and headache:A meta-analysis of observational studies. Headache:The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 54(6), 976-986.

Gordis, E. B., Feres, N., Olezeski, C. L., Rabkin, A. N., & Trickett, P. K. (2010). Skin conductance reactivity and respiratory sinus arrhythmia among maltreated and comparison youth:Relations with aggressive behavior. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35(5), 547-558.

Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, E. (2015). Moral disengagement and aggression:comments on the special issue. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 61(1), 192-211.

Hardy, S. A., Bean, D. S., & Olsen, J. A. (2015). Moral identity and adolescent prosocial and antisocial behaviors:Interactions with moral disengagement and self-regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(8), 1542-1554.

Hodgdon, H. B. (2009). Child maltreatment and aggression:The mediating role of moral disengagement, emotion regulation, and emotional callousness among juvenile offenders. Unpublished doctorial dissertation. Temple University.

Hoeve, M., Colins, O. F., Mulder, E. A., Loeber, R., Geert, J. S., & Robert, R. V. (2015). The association between childhood maltreatment, mental health problems, and aggression in justice-involved boys. Aggressive Behavior, 41(5), 488-501.

Holmes, M. R. (2013). Aggressive behavior of children exposed to intimate partner violence:An examination of maternal mental health, maternal warmth and child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(8), 520-530.

Hyde, L. W., Shaw, D. S., & Moilanen, K. L. (2010). Developmental precursors of moral disengagement and the role of moral disengagement in the development of antisocial behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(2), 197-209.

Kabasakala, Z., & Bas, A. U. (2010). A research on some variables regarding the frequency of violent and aggressive behaviors among elementary school students and their families. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 582-586.

Kabour, M. M. (2007). The impact of child abuse and neglect on aggression and the role of gender on the abuse-aggression relationship. Unpublished doctorial dissertation. Pacific Graduate School of Psychology.

Koenig, A. L., Cicchetti, D., & Rogosch, F. A. (2004). Moral development:The association between maltreatment and young children's prosocial behaviors and moral trangressions. Social Development, 13(1), 87-106.

Kokkinos, C. M.,Voulgaridou, I., & Markos, A. (2016). Personality and relational aggression:Moral disengagement and friendship quality as mediators. Personality and Individual Differences, 95, 74-79.

Kokkinos, C. M., Voulgaridou, I., Mandrali, M., & Parousidou, C. (2016). Interactive links between relational aggression,theory of mind,and moral disengagement among early adolescents. Psychology in the Schools, 53(3), 253-269.

Lake, S., Wood, E., Dong, H., Dobrer, S., Montaner, J., & Kerr, T. (2015). The impact of childhood emotional abuse on violence among people who inject drugs. Drug and Alcohol Review, 34(1), 4-9.

LaMotte, A. D., Taft, C. T., & Weatherill, R. P. (2016). Mistrust of others as a mediator of the relationship between trauma exposure and use of partner aggression. Psychological Trauma:Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8(4), 535-540.

Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J., & Theokas, C. (2006). Dynamics of individual←→context relations in human development:A developmental systems perspective. In J. C. Thomas, D. L. Segal, M. Hersen, J. C. Thomas, D.L. Segal, & M. Hersen (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of personality and psychopathology, Vol. 1:Personality and everyday functioning (pp. 23-43). Hoboken, NJ:John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Li, J. B., Nie, Y. G., Boardley, I. D., Situ, Q. M., & Dou. K. (2014). Moral disengagement moderates the predicted effect of trait self-control on self-reported aggression. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 17(4), 312-318.

Maguire, E., Macdonald, A., Krill, S., Holowka, D. W., Marx, B. P., Woodward, H., et al. (2015). Examining trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in court-mandated intimate partner violence perpetrators. Psychological Trauma:Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 7(5), 473-478.

Milletich, R. J., Kelley, M. L., Doane, A. N., & Pearson, M. R. (2010). Exposure to interparental violence and childhood physical and emotional abuse as related to physical aggression in undergraduate dating relationships. Journal of Family Violence, 25(7), 627-637.

Moore, C. (2015). Moral disengagement. Current Opinion in Psychology, 6, 199-204.

Ogunfowora, B., & Bourdage, J. S. (2014). Does Honesty-Humility influence evaluations of leadership emergence? the mediating role of moral disengagement. Personality & Individual Differences, 56(1), 95-99.

Paciello, M., Fida, R., Tramontano, C., Lupinetti, C., & Caprara, G. V. (2008). Stability and change of moral disengagement and its impact on aggression and violence in late adolescence. Child Development, 79(5), 1288-1309.

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research:A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879-903.

Reynolds, S.J., Dang, C.T., Yam, K. C., & Leavitt, K. (2014). The role of moral knowledge in everyday immorality:what does it matter if I know what is right? Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes, 123(2), 124-137.

Ribeaud, D., & Eisner, S. M. (2010). Are moral disengagement, neutralization techniques, and self-serving cognitive distortions the same? Developing a unified scale of moral neutralization of aggression. International Journal of Conflict and Violence, 4(2), 298-315.

Samnani, A. K., Salamon, S. D., & Singh, P. (2014). Negative affect and counterproductive workplace behavior:The moderating role of moral disengagement and gender. Journal of Business ethics, 119(2), 235-244.

Shu, L. L., Gino, F., & Bazerman, M. H. (2011). Dishonest deed, clear conscience:when cheating leads to moral disengagement and motivated forgetting. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(3), 330-349.

Shulman, E. P., Cauffman, E., Piquero, A. R., & Fagan, J. (2011). Moral disengagement among serious juvenile offenders:A longitudinal study of the relations between morally disengaged attitudes and offending. Developmental Psychology, 47(6), 1619-1632.

Smetana, J. G., & Kelly, M. (1989). Social cognition in maltreated children. In D.Cicchetti and V. Carlson (Eds.) Child maltreatment:Theory and research on the causes and consequences of child abuse and neglect. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press. 620-646.

Traclet, A., Moret, O., Ohl, F., & Clémence, A. (2015). Moral disengagement in the legitimation and realization of aggressive behavior in soccer and ice hockey. Aggressive Behavior, 41(2), 123-133.

Vahl, P., Colins, O. F., & Lodewijks, H. B. (2016). Psychopathic traits and maltreatment:Relations with aggression and mental health problems in detained boys. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 46, 129-136.

Vincent, L. C., Emich, K. J., & Goncalo, J. A. (2013). Stretching the moral gray zone:Positive affect, moral disengagement, and dishonesty. Psychological Science, 24(4), 595-599.

Visconti, K. J., Ladd, G. W., & Kochenderfer-Ladd, B. (2015). The role of moral disengagement in the associations between children's social goals and aggression. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 61(1), 101-123.

Wang, X. C., Lei, L., Liu, D., & Hu, H. H. (2016). Moderating effects of moral reasoning and gender on the relation between moral disengagement and cyberbullying in adolescents. Personality & Individual Differences, 98, 244-249.

Wang, X. C., Li, L., Yang, J. P., Gao, L., & Zhao, F. Q. (2016). Moral disengagement as mediator and moderator of the relation between empathy and aggression among chinese male juvenile delinquents. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 47, 1-11.

Wilson, H. W., Stover, C. S., & Berkowitz, S. J. (2009). The relationship between childhood violence exposure and juvenile antisocial behavior:A meta-analytic review. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50(7), 769-779.

邓云龙, 潘辰, 唐秋萍, 袁秀洪, 肖长根. (2007). 儿童期心理虐待与忽视量表的初步编制. 中国行为医学科学, 16(2), 175-177.

高玲, 王兴超, 杨继平. (2015). 交往不良同伴对男性未成年犯攻击行为的影响:道德推脱的中介作用. 心理发展与教育, 31(5), 625-632.

刘美辰. (2012). 中学生道德判断与攻击行为的关系:道德推脱的调节效应. 硕士学位论文.四川师范大学.

刘裕, 唐薇, 张媛, 刘芳. (2015). 道德推脱对青少年外部问题行为的影响:有调节的中介效应. 心理与行为研究, 2015, 13(2), 251-257.

潘辰. (2010). 儿童心理虐待量表修订及流行病学调查. 博士学位论文. 中南大学.

王红姣, 卢家楣. (2004). 中学生自我控制能力问卷的编制及其调查. 心理科学, 27(6), 1477-1482.

王兴超, 杨继平. (2013). 道德推脱与大学生亲社会行为:道德认同的调节效应. 心理科学, 36(4), 904-909.

王兴超, 杨继平, 杨力. (2014). 道德推脱与攻击行为关系的元分析. 心理科学进展, 22(7), 1092-1102.

温忠麟, 侯杰泰, Marsh, H. W. (2008). 结构方程模型中调节效应的标准化估计. 心理学报, 40(6), 729-736.

吴艳, 温忠麟, 侯杰泰, Marsh, H. W. (2011). 无均值结构的潜变量交互效应模型的标准化估计. 心理学报, 43(10), 1219-1228.

杨继平, 王兴超. (2012). 道德推脱对青少年攻击行为的影响:有调节的中介效应. 心理学报, 44(8), 1075-1085.

杨继平, 王兴超, 高玲. (2010). 道德推脱的概念、测量及相关变量. 心理科学进展, 18 (4), 671-678.

张丽, 钱胜, 王文霞. (2008). 青少年攻击性的儿童期心理虐待与忽视等多因素模型. 医学与社会, 21(11), 52-54.

张晓燕, 高定国, 傅华. (2011). 辩证性思维降低攻击性倾向. 心理学报, 43(1), 42-51.

赵冬梅, 周宗奎. (2010). 儿童同伴交往中的攻击行为:文化和性别特征. 心理科学, 33(1), 144-146.

赵君, 蔡翔. (2014). 人口统计学特征对工作场所偏差行为的差异性影响研究. 软科学, 28(8), 112-116.
[1] WANG Yanhui, SHEN Zifeng, LAI Xuefen. The Relation between Parental Psychological Control and Adolescent Externalizing Problem Behavior: The Chain Mediating Role of Effortful Control and Deviant Peer Affiliation [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(2): 248-256.
[2] XIAO Jialin, LIANG Kaixin, HUANG Liuyue, WANG Enna, HUANG Qiaomin, HE Yunhan, LU Baolin, CHI Xinli. The Cumulative Effects, Relationship Model, and the Effects of Specific Positive Development Assets in Reducing Adolescent Depression [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(2): 257-269.
[3] YAN Zhiqiang, ZHOU Ke, ZENG Xiao, XU Hui, ZHU Xiaoqian, ZHANG Juan. The Relationship between Preschooler’s Executive Function and Aggressive Behavior: The Mediation Effect of Cognitive Empathy [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(6): 788-797.
[4] LIU Qing, FENG Lan. The Mediating Role of Parenting between Parents' Marital Quality and Adolescents' Sibling Relationship and Its Gender Difference [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(5): 654-662.
[5] ZHANG Wen, WANG Zhenhong. The Relationship between Negative Life Events and the Internalizing Problems among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Social Support and the Moderating Role of Parent-adolescent Cohesion [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(5): 718-725.
[6] HONG Xinwei, MIAO Lingtong, FAN Hang, SONG Minghua, ZHU Tingting, LIU Shen, ZHANG Lin. The Relationship between Parental Conflict and Adolescents' Aggressive Behavior: Roles of Emotional Security and School Connectedness [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(5): 726-734.
[7] HU Yihao, XU Luyan, BIAN Xiaohua, ZHOU Ying, LIU Junsheng. Peer Victimization and Depression among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effects of Classroom Norm Salience for Aggression [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(4): 542-549.
[8] BAO Zhenzhou, CHU Yijia, WANG Fan, LIU Xixi. Adolescents' Outsider Behaviors in School Bullying: The Roles of School Climate, School Connectedness and Moral Disengagement [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(4): 580-589.
[9] ZHENG Xianliang, CHEN Huiping, WANG Xue, BAO Zhenzhou. Development Trends of Adolescents’ Internet Altruistic Behavior and the Influence of Social Class: A Longitudinal Study [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 333-341.
[10] WANG Yue, XIONG Yuke, REN Ping, YANG Liu, MIAO Wei. Effects of Bully-victimization on Proactive and Reactive Aggression in Early Adolescence: The Role of Moral Disengagement and Gender [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 410-418.
[11] LI Jinwen, BAI Rong, WANG Yumeng, LIU Xia. The Relationship between Developmental Trajectories of Adolescents’ Depression and Self-injury: A Two-year Longitudinal Study [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 429-438.
[12] GAO Ling, MENG Wenhui, LIU Jiedi, YANG Jiping, WANG Xingchao. Parental Phubbing and Adolescent’s Cyberbullying Perpetration: The Roles of Self-esteem and Basic Empathy [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 439-448.
[13] PENG Haiyun, SHENG Liang, WANG Jinrui, ZHOU Ziyan, XIN Sufei. Changes of Adolescents’ Loneliness in China (2001~2019): The Perspective of Cross-temporal Meta-analysis [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 449-456.
[14] LI Cirong, YANG Yanyu, LI Chunxuan. Interparental Conflict, Adolescents' Daily Self-efficacy and Daily Learning Engagement: The Mediating Roles of Daily Negative Emotion and Daily Rumination in the Moderating Effects of Interparental Conflict Influence [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(2): 236-246.
[15] ZHANG Lin, CHEN Yanling, HONG Xinwei, ZHAO Mingyu, FAN Hang, LIU Shen. The Relationship between Callous-unemotional Traits and School Bullying of Junior High School Students: A Moderated Mediation Model [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(2): 266-275.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
Copyright 2018 © Editorial office of Psychological Development and Education
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd