Aggression, exposure to violence, opportunity factors, and school bullying perpetration among Hong Kong early adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Extensive studies have identified the predictive effect of aggression on school bullying. Despite those efforts, there is a paucity of research examining the underlying mechanisms of the aggression-bullying relationship. Drawing on the notion of social network analysis, this study argues that exposure to violence may explain the aggression-bullying association, whereas the mediating effect of exposure to violence may be conditioned by three opportunity factors (neutralization of use of violence, family harmony, and positive school climate). Data used in this study were derived from a questionnaire survey with a school-based random sample of 2,976 Hong Kong early adolescents (aged 10 to 14). The findings of mediation and moderated mediation analyses indicated that reactive aggression, proactive-power related aggression, and proactive-affiliation related aggression have predictive effects on school bullying perpetration. Besides, this study provided solid support for the mediating role of exposure to violence on the aggression-bullying relationship. Moreover, the results revealed that the neutralization technique “defense of necessity” aggravates the indirect effect of aggression on bullying, whereas limited support was granted for the mitigating effect of family harmony and positive school climate. Limitations and policy implications are discussed.