The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement in the Association Between Maltreatment and Bullying Perpetration: Testing the Differences of Gender and Household Registration

Abstract

Although previous studies have indicated that adverse childhood experiences profoundly impact children's psychological and behavioural development, comprehensive investigations into the direct and indirect mechanisms through which maltreatment affects bullying perpetration among Chinese children are lacking. This study aims to explore the effect of maltreatment on children's bullying perpetration and the potential mediating role of moral disengagement. Moreover, the gender and household registration differences in the associations are also investigated. Employing a multistage cluster sampling method, 1318 questionnaires were collected (612 males, 706 females, mean age = 15). Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the hypothesized theoretical model. The findings reveal that the experiences of maltreatment in early childhood directly influence children's bullying perpetration, with moral disengagement potentially mediating this association. Furthermore, substantial gender disparities exist in the effect of maltreatment on bullying perpetration, and notable variations based on household registration are observed in the association of maltreatment on children's moral disengagement. These findings enhance our understanding of how childhood maltreatment affects children's bullying perpetration and offer valuable insights for the development of social policy and intervention programmes targeting child maltreatment and school bullying.