Left-Behind Experiences and Cyberbullying Behavior in Chinese College Students: The Mediation of Sense of Security and the Moderation of Gender

Abstract

Left-behind children seem to be more sensitive in interpersonal communication, find it more difficult to establish a stable, safe relationship with surrounding people, and have fewer positive coping styles when encountering problems, thus the aim of the present study was to explore the association between left-behind experiences and cyberbullying behavior among Chinese college students through the mediation of sense of security and the moderation of gender. A questionnaire survey comprised 553 college students with left-behind experiences and 526 college students without such experiences. The results showed that, firstly, cyberbullying behavior was significantly higher in college students with left-behind experiences than those without such experiences; secondly, left-behind experiences and cyberbullying behavior in college students was partially mediated by a sense of security; and finally, that gender moderated the mediation of the sense of security between left-behind experiences and cyberbullying behavior. This study suggests the family environment is important for individual growth and illustrates how the influence of childhood left-behind experience persists in individuals.