Peer Pressure and Cyberaggression in Adolescents: The Mediating Effect of Moral Disengagement Strategies

Abstract

Studies on cyberbullying recognize that peer group pressure can activate certain moral disengagement mechanisms that promote the perpetration of aggressive behaviors online. The objectives of this research were to analyze the association of peer group pressure with cyberaggression and to test the mediation effect of different moral disengagement strategies. The total sample was 1,487 schoolchildren (48.1% girls; M = 13.46, SD = 1.07) aged 11 to 17, who were surveyed using self-reports. Descriptive and mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro. The results indicated that there was a direct, significant relationship between peer pressure and cyberaggression. The moral disengagement strategies that showed an indirect effect on the relationship between peer pressure and cyberaggression were minimizing of responsibility, distortion of consequences, and dehumanization. Here, we discuss how the cognitive processes originated by peer pressure may be related to the perpetration of immoral behaviors online.