Mindfulness, impulsivity, and moral disengagement as parameters of bullying and victimization at school

Aggress Behav. 2020 Jan;46(1):107-115. doi: 10.1002/ab.21876. Epub 2019 Nov 17.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the existing association between mindfulness, impulsivity, moral disengagement, and bullying experiences at school. Longitudinal data were collected in three points in time (T1, T2, T3) with 6 months interval between them. Participants were 558 adolescents attending secondary schools in Cyprus, with their ages ranging from 14 to 17 years (M = 15.3; standard deviation = 0.69). Through structural equation modeling, it was found that mindfulness at T1 had a significant negative effect on both impulsivity and moral disengagement at T2 and these, in turn, had a positive effect on bullying and victimization at T3. Thus, mindfulness had an indirect effect on both bullying and victimization, fully mediated by impulsivity and moral disengagement.

Keywords: bullying; impulsivity; mindfulness; moral disengagement; victimization.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bullying*
  • Crime Victims*
  • Humans
  • Impulsive Behavior
  • Mindfulness*
  • Morals
  • Schools