Perceived social competition and school bullying among adolescents: The mediating role of moral disengagement

School climates foster cooperation or competition among students. In socially competitive school climate, adolescents compete for valuable social resources such as attention and status. Competition is an advantageous way to gain dominance and resources, which may also promote moral disengagement and bullying behaviors. The current study examined whether moral disengagement mediated the link between perceived social competition at school and bullying perpetration among early adolescents, while also considering gender differences. A large sample of Chinese students (N = 1528) from grades 7 to 9 in three middle schools completed questionnaires regarding perceived social competition, school bullying, and moral disengagement. Results showed that: (1) perceived social competition and bullying perpetration were significantly higher for boys than for girls; (2) perceived social competition was positively related to school bullying; (3) moral disengagement partially mediated the association between early adolescents’ perceived social competition and school bullying; (4) the mediating role of moral disengagement in the relationship between perceived social competition and school bullying was significant for girls only. Overall, when adolescents are embedded in school climates that emphasize competing for attention and popularity, they are also more likely to engage in bullying behaviors. Girls may adapt to socially competitive climate by altering their social cognition to be more accepting of such forms of aggression.