The role of CU traits, empathy and moral disengagement in bullying

Abstract

Bullying and victimization have been of interest to a wide variety of disciplines for years due to their serious consequences (Zych et al., 2019). The focus has primarily been on personality factors which have significant associations with bullying perpetration. These factors include CU traits, empathy, and moral disengagement (e.g., Gini, 2006; Thornberg et al., 2015; Zych et al., 2019). However, the relation between those constructs and bullying perpetrator behaviors are unclear and have not been integrated in a single study. Additionally, studies suggest that students with special education support needs are overrepresented in bullying dynamics (e.g., Hartley et al., 2015). Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine whether moral disengagement and empathy act as mediators of CU traits on bullying perpetrator behavior while controlling age, gender and special educational needs. The sample consists of 201 students (Mage = 12.85; SD = 1.37) which were enrolled in schools in Germany. High CU traits were associated with low cognitive and affective empathy and high moral disengagement. Additionally, special educational needs were associated with higher moral disengagement. Moral disengagement mediates the relationship between CU traits and bullying. These findings expand the knowledge of influencing factors in the bullying dynamic and have significant implications for prevention and intervention practices.