The relationship between parental conflict and adolescent cyberbullying: the roles of parent-child attachment and core self-evaluation

Cyberbullying is a common problem behavior among adolescents, and parental conflict has a significant influence on it. However, the mechanisms underlying this relation is largely unclear. The current study aimed to examine the potential mediating roles of parent-child attachment and core self-evaluation in this relationship. In total, 1,245 Chinese adolescents ( M age = 14.48, SD age = 1.58, 560 boys and 685 girls) completed a questionnaire survey on parental conflict, parent-child attachment, core self-evaluation, and cyberbullying. Findings showed a positive correlation between parental conflict and adolescent cyberbullying. Additionally, parent-child attachment and core self-evaluation played mediating roles in this relationship, both in parallel as well as sequentially. These findings provide new evidence on how parental conflict affects adolescent cyberbullying and deepened our understanding of the mediating roles of parent-child attachment and core self-evaluation in this relationship.