The Relationship Between Bullying, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and the Mediation Effect of Moral Disengagement: A Study of Undergraduate University Students

Abstract

Bullying is a prevalent issue in various settings, such as schools, workplaces and prisons. In fact, bullying behaviour comes in two main types: traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Not to mention that its relationship has been studied with different psychological contexts, its relationship with callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement. However, the literature on bullying between university students is scarce compared to other settings, even though it is prevalent in general. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate a correlation analysis between callous-unemotional traits and cyber and traditional bullying behaviour among undergraduate university students, as well as the mediating effect of moral disengagement between callous-unemotional traits and bullying in both forms. The participants included were 155 undergraduate students who were recruited to complete a series of questionnaires that measure cyber and traditional bullying behaviour, callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement. The study results found the callous-unemotional traits were positively correlated with cyber and traditional bullying behaviour. Moreover, the study found that moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits significantly predict bullying behaviour (cyber and traditional) using an exploratory regression analysis. Furthermore, the study found that moral disengagement did have a mediating effect. The implications of the study results in suggestions for future research are discussed.