Behind the Screen: How Gaming Habits, Motives, and Content Shape Cyberbullying Behaviour

Abstract

This study explores how gaming motives, gaming frequency, and exposure to violent content collectively predict cyberbullying perpetration in online multiplayer games. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 608 cisgendered participants (M age = 24.94; SD = 4.52, 72.2% men). Sequential logistic regression found that gaming frequency was the strongest predictor of cyberbullying, followed by competitive motives, gender (men), and younger age. Interestingly, exposure to violent content did not significantly predict cyberbullying. Findings suggest that habitual gaming with competitive motives may encourage cyberbullying perpetration, potentially as a means to gain a gameplay advantage. Results also highlight the higher prevalence of cyberbullying among younger men, suggesting a need for early interventions that target gender norms in gaming. Finally, the non-significant impact of violent content may be due to desensitization. Future research should examine the role of gaming motives across different game genres and investigate the relationship between violent content exposure and aggression in gaming.