Gender Differences in the Moderating Effect of Cyberbullying Peers Between Cyberbullying Offending and Cyberbullying Victimization in South Korea

Abstract

Although several studies have explored the overlap between cyberbullying victimization and offending, limited research has examined how these two dynamics influence each other across gender. This study investigates whether the effects of victimization on offending and offending on victimization differ by gender. Moreover, the current study examines the moderating role of cyberbullying peers – a key criminogenic factor – in shaping these relationships. Specifically, given gender differences in bullying styles – individual for men and group-oriented for women – we examine whether the moderating effect of cyberbullying peers also varies by gender. Utilizing OLS regression, we analyzed data from a sample of 244 men and women college students in Seoul, South Korea. The findings reveal that cyberbullying victimization significantly increases the likelihood of offending, and cyberbullying offending similarly heightens the risk of victimization for both men and women. However, the moderating effects of cyberbullying peers varied by gender. While the interaction between cyberbullying victimization and peers on offending was not significant for both genders, the interaction between offending and peers on victimization exhibited a negatively significant effect for women but not for men. Implications for policy and research are discussed.