Are Cyberbullies the Same? An Examination of Cyberbully Typology Based on Offending Versatility and Group Differences in Motivation, Propensity, and Their Interplay

초록

Using a South Korean college student sample, we examined whether cyberbullies could be classified into two or more groups. In addition to non-cyberbullies, we found two distinct cyberbully groups: solely-verbal-abusers and versatile-cyberbullies. We then examined whether cyberbullying motivations (cyberbullying victimization, association with cyberbullies), individual propensities (morality, self-control), and their interplay predicted group membership. Results showed that motivations and morality were significant predictors, whereas self-control was not. We furthermore found that morality acts as a buffer, while higher levels of self-control unexpectedly increased the likelihood of being a solely-verbal-abuser, which was associated with a higher degree of association with cyberbullies.

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