Does peer alienation accelerate cyber deviant behaviors of adolescents? The mediating role of core self-evaluation and the moderating role of parent-child relationship and gender

The current study intended to better understand how peer alienation might influence adolescents’ cyber flaming, cyber pornography and cyber deception, and examine their mechanisms: The mediating role of core self-evaluation and the moderating role of father-child relationship, mother-child relationship and gender. This model was examined with 644 Chinese high school students by e-questionnaires (mean age = 16.85 years, SD = 1.23). The results showed that: (1) Peer alienation was positively correlated with cyber flaming, cyber pornography and cyber deception; core self-evaluation, father-child relationship and mother-child relationship were negatively correlated with peer alienation, cyber flaming, cyber pornography and cyber deception; (2) Peer alienation had significant positive predictive effects on cyber flaming, cyber pornography and cyber deception, and core self-evaluation played significant mediating roles in these relationships; (3) The mediating paths “peer alienation → core self-evaluation → cyber flaming/cyber pornography/cyber deception” were significantly moderated by mother-child relationship, and the mediation effects were more significant among adolescents with lower quality of mother-child relationship. (4) The direct paths “peer alienation → cyber flaming/cyber pornography/cyber deception” were significantly moderated by gender, and the predictive effects were only significant among boys than girls. The current study is conductive to clarify the risk and protective factors for cyber deviant behaviors of adolescents, and mental health professionals should develop safe social interaction programs for adolescents at risk of cyber deviant behaviors.