Longitudinal associations between cyberbullying and cyberhate: The role of online empathy and moral disengagement

Cyberbullying and cyberhate are two forms of cyberaggression that share several characteristics but differ in key aspects such as repetition, power imbalance, and the nature of their targets. Although often examined separately, their potential overlaps and the psychological mechanisms that distinguish them require further investigation. In this context, online empathy and moral disengagement may offer insight into the shared and distinct emotional and moral processes that are associated with adolescents’ engagement in one form of behavior over the other. This study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional relation between cyberbullying and cyberhate in adolescence and examined the temporal links of online empathy and moral disengagement. A sample of 698 adolescents (50.4% boys, 47.8% girls, 1.9% gender-diverse), aged 12 to 18 years (M = 14.38, SD = 1.13), completed self-report survey at two time points over one year. A cross-lagged panel model, controlling gender and age, revealed that both cyberbullying and cyberhate were stable over time and mutually associated. Online empathy at T1 was negatively associated with cyberbullying at T2, while moral disengagement at T1 was positively associated with cyberhate at T2. No significant associations with age were found. These findings improve our understanding of the different processes involved in cyberhate and cyberbullying and support the development of targeted prevention strategies tailored to the distinct dynamics of each form of cyberaggression.