The Time-concurrent or Time-ordered Effect of Population Heterogeneity and State Dependence on Cyberbullying: Assessing Lagged Auto-regression and Crossed-lagged Regression Models

This study attempts to examine why prior offending behavior influences subsequent offending behavior by testing the hypothesized relationship derived from the integrated approach of population heterogeneity and state dependence. Using six-year data from the Korean Children Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) in a longitudinal research design, the findings reveal that two measures of population heterogeneity (low self-control and cyber lifestyles) have both time-concurrent and time-ordered effects on cyberbullying perpetration. The link between low self-control and cyberbullying perpetration is partially mediated by cyber lifestyles. Also, prior cyberbullying perpetration (a measure of state dependence) influences later cyberbullying perpetration while the two measures of population heterogeneity are controlled. The results indicate that such relations between prior and later offending experiences is not spurious and caused by the population heterogeneity measures.
Source: Computers in Human Behavior - Category: Information Technology Source Type: research