Abstract

Cyberbullying, a new form of aggressive behavior occurring on the Internet, has captured much attention of the popular press and academia. Despite extensive media reports, the investigation of cyberbullying perpetration is still in its infancy. Current research on cyberbullying is hindered by a lack of strong theoretical guidance, and has often centered the focus on victimization. In addition, much of the research effort has been devoted to understanding cyberbullying among adolescents, with a paucity of research initiated at the collegiate level. To address this research gap, we draw on routine activity theory to investigate cyberbullying perpetration. Specifically, we construct a research model that examines how aggressive dispositions, attitude toward the victim, and online disinhibition are associated with cyberbullying perpetration. We plan to test our research model with a sample of university students. We believe that our study will advance the understanding of cyberbullying and provide a solid foundation for future theoretical investigation.

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