Parental Moral Disengagement Induction as a Predictor of Bullying and Cyberbullying: Mediation by Children’s Moral Disengagement, Moral Emotions, and Validation of a Questionnaire

Abstract

Little is known about the relation between parental morality induction, moral functioning in children and children’s involvement in bullying and cyberbullying. This study aimed at advancing knowledge on parenting practices regarding morality induction. The Perceived Parental Moral Disengagement Induction Questionnaire was designed and validated. The relation between the perceived parental moral disengagement induction, bullying and cyberbullying mediated by children’s moral disengagement and moral emotions was explored in this study. The survey was answered by 1483 Primary and Secondary Education students enrolled in eight different schools. High perceived parental moral disengagement induction, children’s high moral disengagement and low moral emotions were related to high involvement in bullying and cyberbullying. Parenting practices regarding morality predicted moral functioning in children which in turn predicted bullying and cyberbullying. Thus, bullying and cyberbullying could possibly be decreased by enhancing morality in children and promoting desirable morality-related parenting practice.