Domestic violence exposure and adolescent online aggression: The mediating role of moral excuses, and the moderating effect of gender

Objective: To investigate the impact of exposure to domestic violence on adolescent cyberbullying behavior, and to examine the mediating role of moral justification as well as the gender-related regulatory effects. Methods: A survey was conducted among 1,050 middle and high school students from seven schools in Hebei Province. Participants completed surveys involving scales measuring exposure to domestic violence, moral justification, and cyberbullying behavior. Results: There was a positive correlation between exposure to domestic violence, moral justification, and cyberbullying behavior. Exposure to domestic violence significantly predicted cyberbullying behavior, with moral justification playing a mediating role in this relationship. Gender also had a significant effect on the direct impact of domestic violence on cyberbullying behavior, as well as on the second half of the mediation model involving moral justification…