1. |
- Alsaadi, Sarah, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Collective moral disengagement at school : A validation of a scale for Swedish children
- 2018
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to evaluate a recently developed classroom collective moral disengagement scale (CMD). The 18-item scale was evaluated on a sample of 1626 fourth grade students in Sweden. Through confirmatory factor analysis, the unidimensional structure of the scale was verified, and the internal consistency was good. The scale is related to individual moral disengagement and to bullying behavior both on an individual level, which supports the criteria validity of the scale and on class level, which supports the construct validity of the scale. Multigroup analyses demonstrated measurement invariance across gender. These results indicate that the scale can be used in studies on CMD, and girls’ and boys’ mean scores may be compared.
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2. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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A longitudinal study of growth of verbal bullying across late childhood : Associations with moral disengagement
- 2019
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Introduction:There is strong empirical support for the link between moral disengagement (MD) and bullying in late childhood. However, only a few studies have examined these associations longitudinally. Given that previous research suggest that verbal bullying is the most common type of bullying in adolescence, with increasing prevalence during the childhood years, understanding factors associated with verbal bullying during these years may be of great importance. This study examines changes in verbal bullying across late childhood, focusing specifically on associations between moral disengagement and the individual child’s change trajectory.Method:A total of 1214 Swedish children completed a web-based questionnaire at three time points (in grades 4, 5, and 6). Multilevel growth modeling was used to examine unique trajectories of groups(classrooms) and individuals.Result:The results showed that verbal bullying increased between grades four, five, and six, and that bullying scores were positively associated with MD scores over time. In addition, the bullying trajectories of children with higher levels of MD were higher and steeper, indicating that these children scored higher on bullying in general as well as increased more in bullying over time, compared to children with lower levels of MD.Discussion:Our findings add to the literature, by exploring temporal and dispositional aspects of moral disengagement. The results are discussed in relation to the literature and the socio-cognitive perspective of bullying behavior as a result of reciprocal interplay between personal and social influences.
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3. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Collective moral disengagement as a moderator of bullying behavior and moral disengagement : A multilevel analysis
- 2018
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A vast body of research shows that children and youth who use moral disengagement strategies tend to engage more in aggressive behavior, including bullying. However only a handful studies have investigated the association between perceptions of moral disengagement processes shared within the group (e.g., the peer group of the classroom) and bullying. In the present study we extended previous research by exploring both unique and interactive effects of individual and collective moral disengagement on bullying behavior among 1535 Swedish fifth grade students (M = 11.6, SD = 0.3). Results of multilevel analyses showed that both individual and collective moral disengagement were positively associated with bullying behavior. Additionally, collective moral disengagement moderated the association between individual moral disengagement and bullying.
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4. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-
(author)
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Individual and classroom collective moral disengagement in offline and online bullying : A short‐term multilevel growth model study
- 2021
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In: Psychology in the schools (Print). - : Wiley. - 0033-3085 .- 1520-6807. ; , s. 1-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This short-term longitudinal study examined whether individual moral disengagement and classroom collective moral disengagement were associated with offline and online bullying over the course of 1 year. Multilevel growth modeling with three levels was used to analyze data from a sample of 1048 Swedish students in 68 classrooms. The students completed a self-report questionnaire at two time-points separated by approximately 1 year. All students were in fifth grade (Mage = 11.5) at the first timepoint and in sixth grade (Mage = 12.6) at the second timepoint. Results showed that students reported more offline and online bullying if they had higher initial levels of individual moral disengagement and if they belonged to classrooms with higher initial levels of classroom collective moral disengagement. Also, a change in individual moral disengagement was positively associated with a change in bullying others offline and online.
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5. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Individual moral disengagement and bullying among Swedish fifth graders : The role of collective moral disengagement and pro-bullying behavior within classrooms
- 2021
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In: Journal of Interpersonal Violence. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. - 0886-2605 .- 1552-6518. ; 36:17-18, s. NP9576-NP9600
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- School bullying is a complex social and relational phenomenon with severe consequences for those involved. Most children view bullying as wrong and recognize its harmful consequences; nevertheless, it continues to be a persistent problem within schools. Previous research has shown that children's engagement in bullying perpetration can be influenced by multiple factors (e.g., different forms of cognitive distortions) and at different ecological levels (e.g., child, peer-group, school, and society). However, the complexity of school bullying warrants further investigation of the interplay between factors, at different levels. Grounded in social cognitive theory, which focuses on both cognitive factors and social processes, this study examined whether children's bullying perpetration was associated with moral disengagement at the child level and with collective moral disengagement and prevalence of pro-bullying behavior at the classroom level. Cross-level interactions were also tested to examine the effects of classroom-level variables on the association between children's tendency to morally disengage and bullying perpetration. The study's analyses were based on cross-sectional self-report questionnaire data from 1,577 Swedish fifth-grade children from 105 classrooms (53.5% girls; Mage = 11.3, SD = 0.3). Multilevel modeling techniques were used to analyze the data. The results showed that bullying perpetration was positively associated with moral disengagement at the child level and with collective moral disengagement and pro-bullying behavior at the classroom level. Furthermore, the effect of individual moral disengagement on bullying was stronger for children in classrooms with higher levels of pro-bullying behaviors. These findings further support the argument that both moral processes and behaviors within classrooms, such as collective moral disengagement and pro-bullying behavior, need to be addressed in schools' preventive work against bullying.
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6. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Mechanisms of moral disengagement and their associations with indirect bullying, direct bullying, and pro-aggressive bystander behavior
- 2020
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In: Journal of Early Adolescence. - 0272-4316 .- 1552-5449. ; 40:1, s. 28-55
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examined the links between seven specific mechanisms of moral disengagement and indirect bullying, direct bullying, and pro-aggressive bystander behavior. In addition, the moderating role of gender on these associations was examined. Participants were 317 Swedish students in Grades 4 to 8 (Mage=12.6, SD = 1.35; 62% girls). Multivariate multiple regression analyses showed that indirect bullying was predicted by gender and victim attribution. Direct bullying was predicted by moral justification, and for girls, by victim attribution. Pro-aggressive bystander behavior was predicted by diffusion of responsibility, victim attribution, gender, and age. That is, boys and younger students were more prone to take the aggressor’s side compared with girls and older students. Furthermore, the relation between pro-aggressive bystander behavior and distortion of consequences appeared stronger in boys than in girls. These results highlight the relative importance of specific moral disengagement mechanisms and may have implications for interventions targeting bullying.
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7. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Moral disengagement and verbal bullying in early adolescence : A three-year longitudinal study
- 2021
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In: Journal of School Psychology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-4405 .- 1873-3506. ; 84, s. 63-73
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This three-year longitudinal study examined both within- and between-person effects of moral disengagement on verbal bullying perpetration in early adolescence. Data came from the first four waves (T1–T4, Grades 4 to 7) of an ongoing longitudinal project examining social and moral correlates of bullying in Swedish schools. Participants included 2432 Swedish early adolescents (52% girls; Mage at T1 = 10.55 years). Students completed self-report measures of verbal bullying perpetration and moral disengagement. Results of a multilevel growth model showed that verbal bullying increased over time (regression coefficient for Grade was b = 0.04, SE = 0.01, p < .001). Additionally, the verbal bullying trajectories of participants with higher average levels of MD were higher (regression coefficient for MD¯ was b = 0.28, SE = 0.02, p < .001) and steeper (regression coefficient for the Grade ×MD¯ interaction was b = 0.02, SE = 0.01, p = .018), indicating that these students scored higher on verbal bullying in general and increased more in verbal bullying over time, compared to students with lower levels of average MD. Variations around one's own mean of MD over time was also significantly associated with concurrent changes in verbal bullying (regression coefficient for time-varying MD was b = 0.21, SE = 0.01, p < .001).
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8. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Moral disengagement and verbal bullying in early adolescence : A three-year longitudinal study
- 2021
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In: Journal of School Psychology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-4405 .- 1873-3506. ; 84, s. 63-73
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This three-year longitudinal study examined both within- and between-person effects of moral disengagement on verbal bullying perpetration in early adolescence. Data came from the first four waves (T1-T4, Grades 4 to 7) of an ongoing longitudinal project examining social and moral correlates of bullying in Swedish schools. Participants included 2432 Swedish early adolescents (52% girls; Mage at T1 = 10.55 years). Students completed self-report measures of verbal bullying perpetration and moral disengagement. Results of a multilevel growth model showed that verbal bullying increased over time (regression coefficient for Grade was b = 0.04, SE = 0.01, p < .001). Additionally, the verbal bullying trajectories of participants with higher average levels of MD were higher (regression coefficient for MD¯ was b = 0.28, SE = 0.02, p < .001) and steeper (regression coefficient for the Grade ×MD¯ interaction was b = 0.02, SE = 0.01, p = .018), indicating that these students scored higher on verbal bullying in general and increased more in verbal bullying over time, compared to students with lower levels of average MD. Variations around one's own mean of MD over time was also significantly associated with concurrent changes in verbal bullying (regression coefficient for time-varying MD was b = 0.21, SE = 0.01, p < .001).
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9. |
- Bjärehed, Marlene, 1981-
(author)
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The association between moral disengagement and bullying in early adolescence
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- School bullying occurs when a student is repeatedly exposed to negative actions by other students. The victim is often at some form of a disadvantage. Bullying can take many forms, such as physical, verbal, and relational. It can also occur online. With social cognitive theory as a theoretical framework, this dissertation examined some of the (individual and collective) moral processes that underlie bullying. More specifically, the aim was to enhance the understanding of the association between moral disengagement (MD) and bullying in early adolescence. Self-reported survey data was collected and analyzed using various statistical methods, such as multivariate regression and multilevel analysis. The results show that MD (individual and collective) is associated with bullying perpetration, both in a school context and online. The results also show that individual MD varies over time, and that changes are related to changes in bullying perpetration. The results also indicate that the mechanisms of MD are differentially associated with different forms of bullying. For instance, diffusion of responsibility is (positively) associated with assisting and reinforcing bullying, while moral justification is (positively) associated with indirect bullying. Overall, the results point to the importance of taking into account and analyzing both individual and contextual factors when examining the role that moral disengagement plays in bullying.
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