The Influence of Online Engagement Behaviors and Moral Disengagement Mechanisms on Cyberbullying Behaviors Among Thai Adolescents

Abstract

This research has two main objectives: 1) to study the differences in personal factors (namely gender, age, education level, marital status, and average monthly income) affecting cyberbullying behavior, and 2) to study the structural influence among Thai adolescents, using social media engagement behavior as an independent variable, and moral disengagement as both an independent and a mediating variable affecting cyberbullying behavior. The researcher collected data from a sample of 400 respondents using convenience sampling. The instrument used was a questionnaire that had been tested for quality, including both validity and reliability. The statistics used for data analysis included percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The research findings revealed that: 1) When classified by personal factors, the cyberbullying behavior of Thai adolescents showed statistically significant differences based on gender, age, and education level. 2) The analysis of variable influences found that online engagement behavior and moral disengagement had a statistically significant positive effect on cyberbullying behavior. Online engagement behavior had the highest direct effect on cyberbullying behavior (0.879), followed by moral disengagement (0.103). Furthermore, online engagement behavior also had an indirect effect on cyberbullying behavior through moral disengagement (0.715). Collectively, the variables in the model could explain 91.30% of the variance in the cyberbullying behavior of Thai adolescents.