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.