The relationship between fear of COVID-19 and online aggressive behavior: A moderated mediation model

In the midst of COVID-19, fear has run rampant across the globe. In an effort to curb the spread of the virus, the social ecology as we had known it had drastically transitioned to a virtual setting. However, such a transition, while warranted and well-intended, may come with unforeseen consequences. Namely, one’s fear of COVID-19 may more readily manifest in subsequent behaviors in an otherwise incognito virtual social ecology. In the current research, a moderated mediation model examined the mechanisms underlying the relation between fear of COVID-19 and aggressive online behavior among Chinese college students. Utilizing a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2,799), results indicated that fear of COVID-19 was directly positively related to engagement in online aggressive behavior. Moral disengagement partially mediated the link between fear of COVID-19 and college students’ online aggressive behavior. The degree of family cohesion reported by participants served to buffer against the relation between moral disengagement and online aggressive behavior. The findings, theoretical contributions, and practical implications of the present paper are also discussed.