This three-wave longitudinal study examined whether violence exposure predicted cyber relational aggression (CRA) and cyber overt aggression (COA) over time, and whether positive rumination moderated these links, among 3,108 Chinese middle school adolescents (mean age 14.41 years; 54.9% girls) assessed at 6-month intervals.
Violence exposure positively predicted both initial levels and growth slopes of CRA (β = 0.28 and 0.20) and COA (β = 0.23 and 0.16). Positive rumination buffered violence exposure effects on CRA at both intercept (β = −0.13) and slope (β = −0.09) levels, but buffered COA only at the intercept level (β = −0.10). Girls showed stronger violence–CRA links; boys showed stronger violence–COA intercept links.
- Observational design prevents causal inference; associations cannot be interpreted as effects. - Sample drawn from one Chinese province (Jiangxi), limiting generalizability. - Self-report measures may introduce bias for sensitive constructs like violence exposure and cyber aggression.
Clinicians and school counselors working with adolescents exposed to violence should screen for both relational and overt forms of cyber aggression, noting gender differences in risk profiles. Interventions promoting positive rumination may help reduce cyber relational aggression in particular, though causal evidence is still needed.
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