Cyberbullying Perpetration and Socio-Behavioral Correlates in Italian and Spanish Preadolescents: A Cross-National Study and Serial Mediation Analysis

The spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) brought advantages and disadvantages, particularly impacting youth, daily involved in using Internet and social media applications. In preadolescents’ social development, problematic social media use (PSMU) and cyberbullying (CB) are potential risk factors across several countries. PSMU is defined as the lack of regulation of social media platforms’ use associated with negative outcomes in everyday life, while CB refers to using digital technology to harass, threaten, or embarass another person. Among preadolescents, CB perpetration is frequently associated with cybervictimization (CV) experiences. The underlying mechanisms that drive this relationship have received limited attention. The aim of the cross-national comparative study, rooted in the General Aggression Model, is to investigate the direct and indirect effects between cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimization, testing a model involving PSMU and moral disengagement (MD) as serial mediators in this association. 895 Italian and Spanish preadolescents (M_age = 11.23, SD = 1.064) completed a self-report survey during school hours. Descriptive statistics were computed, and a serial mediation model was run. The results show that CV is positively associated to CB, and that PSMU and MD positively serially mediate the CV-CB link. This study’s insights suggest the need for tailored educational interventions targeting European youth, to promote more positive online social interactions and a safer digital environment.