Longitudinal Associations Between Violence Exposure and Cyber Aggression in Chinese Adolescents: The Potential Mediating Role of Negative Rumination.

Introduction: In the digital era, cyber aggression among adolescents has become increasingly prominent, yet its developmental mechanisms remain unclear. Guided by the General Aggression Model and the Social Information Processing Model, this study investigates the longitudinal associations and potential mediating effects among violence exposure, negative rumination, and cyber aggression.

Methods: A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted with a 6-month interval among 1758 Chinese middle school students (M = 15.43 ± 2.23 years; 57.91% female). Participants completed self-reported questionnaires on violence exposure, negative rumination, and cyber aggression. Cross-lagged panel models and mediation analyses were employed to examine reciprocal and indirect effects.

Results: Results indicated significant bidirectional associations between violence exposure and cyber aggression, as well as between violence exposure and negative rumination. Negative rumination unidirectionally predicted later cyber aggression. Longitudinal mediation analysis further revealed that negative rumination partially mediated the link between prior violence exposure and subsequent cyber aggression.

Conclusions: This study is the first to reveal a dynamic reciprocal structure among violence exposure, rumination, and cyber aggression using a cross-lagged panel design. Findings suggest that violence exposure contributes to cyber aggression both directly and indirectly via cognitive-emotional processes. The results offer a theoretical framework and time-sensitive window for cyber aggression prevention in Chinese adolescents.