Predicting Online Aggression

Abstract

This study develops and validates measures of traits and attitudes for predicting online aggression. Over 362 participants ranging from 18 to 71 years in age completed online surveys on their attitudes, feelings, and experiences regarding online interactions and activities, in addition to reporting on several pre-established personality tests and demographic information. Participants also reported their own engagement in a variety of antisocial and prosocial online behaviors. Respondents' positive attitudes and tendencies toward online bullying (the Net Bully scale) and feelings of power and control when online (the Net Power scale) predicted their aggressive online behaviors (the Hostile Net Behaviors scale). Conversely, feelings that online interactions and activities are personally important (the Net Importance scale) predicted prosocial online behaviors (the Net Friendly scale). The merit of these scales to serve future research on online aggression and bullying is discussed.