Childhood Psychological Maltreatment and Relational Aggression Among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement and the Moderating Role of Gender

Purpose The association between childhood psychological maltreatment and adolescents' relational aggression is receiving growing attention. However, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the association remain largely unknown. This study explores the link between childhood psychological maltreatment and relational aggression, examining whether moral disengagement mediates this association and the potential moderating effect of gender. Methods 948 Chinese adolescents aged 9 to 19 years old (493 boys, 448 girls) participated in this research. Adolescents were recruited through cluster-stratified sampling to complete scales measuring childhood psychological maltreatment, moral disengagement, and relational aggression. Results We found that childhood psychological maltreatment was positively correlated with adolescents' moral disengagement and relational aggression; moral disengagement was also positively correlated with relational aggression. Moral disengagement mediated the effect of psychological maltreatment on relational aggression. The relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and moral disengagement was moderated by gender, with a larger moderating effect for boys than for girls. Conclusion The findings from this study's moderated mediation model suggest that educators should pay more attention to the childhood psychological maltreatment of adolescents with moral disengagement, particularly boys, so that they can provide more appropriate interventions.