The Longitudinal Mediating Roles of Moral Disengagement and Violent Attitudes in the Relationship Between Exposure to...

Based on the General Aggression Model and Social Ecological Systems Theory, this study investigated the longitudinal mediating roles of moral disengagement and violent attitudes in the relationship between exposure to violence and aggressive behavior.

A three-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among college students in China from May 2021 to November 2022. The final analytical sample comprised 809 participants (605 females, 204 males; aged 16-24 years, M = 19.62, SD = 0.803) who completed all three waves. Measures assessed exposure to violence, violent attitudes, moral disengagement, and aggressive behavior. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, including cross-lagged and multiple mediation models with bootstrapping.

The results indicated that: (1) Exposure to violence, moral disengagement, and violent attitudes all longitudinally predicted subsequent aggressive behavior significantly. (2) Exposure to violence influenced aggressive behavior through two significant sequential mediation pathways: one mediated first by violent attitudes and then by moral disengagement, and another mediated first by moral disengagement and then by violent attitudes. (3) A bidirectional predictive relationship was found between violent attitudes and moral disengagement over time.

The findings reveal complex longitudinal mediating mechanisms involving both violent attitudes and moral disengagement linking violence exposure to aggression. This underscores the importance of addressing these cognitive and moral factors in developing targeted prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing aggressive behavior among individuals exposed to violence.