Psychological Development and Education ›› 2020, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (5): 584-593.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2020.05.10

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Relationship between Peer Rejection and Cyberbullying: The Mediating Role of Anger and the Moderating Role of Perceived Anonymity

CHU Xiaowei1,2, ZHOU Zongkui1,2, FAN Cuiying1,2   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079;
    2. School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079
  • Published:2020-09-12

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Abstract: Cyberbullying has become a new form of bullying with the rapid development of Internet and mobile communication tools. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between peer rejection and cyberbullying, as well as the mediation effect of anger and the moderation effect of perceived anonymity in this relation. Seven hundred and three Chinese junior high school students from Wuhan, a city in central China, completed a questionnaire measuring the research variables in this study. Results indicated that: (1) after controlling for participants' gender, age and time spent online per day, peer rejection positively and significantly predicted cyberbullying; (2) anger partially mediated the relationship between peer rejection and cyberbullying; and (3) the direct effect of peer rejection on cyberbullying and the mediation effect of anger were moderated by perceived anonymity, with these effects being much stronger among adolescents high on perceived anonymity. The present findings support the moderated mediation model underlying the relationship between peer rejection and cyberbullying. This also has significant implications for formulating prevention and intervention measures on cyberbullying among adolescents.

Key words: cyberbullying, peer rejection, anger, perceived anonymity

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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