The influence of family function on online prosocial behaviors of high school students: A moderated chained mediation model

The frequency of cyberbullying incidents is gradually increasing, and the seriousness of the consequences is gradually becoming more prominent. Previous studies have shown that cyberbullying bystander behaviors play an important role in reducing cyberbullying. This study aims to explore the mechanisms that high school students' family function, empathy, and social support levels how to affect their implementation of online prosocial behaviors when they act as cyberbullying bystanders. The study was conducted in 1961 high school students (M = 16.84 years; SD = 1.08) in China. Results found that family function promotes online prosocial behaviors through (a) empathy, (b) social support, and (c) chain mediating path of empathy and social support. There were interactions between gender and family function as well as social support, which played a moderating role in the paths of family function and online prosocial behaviors and social support and online prosocial behaviors, respectively. We investigated how family function affected online prosocial behaviors in high school students and how empathy and social support worked to promote them to carry out online prosocial behaviors.

Automated summary

The frequency of cyberbullying incidents is increasing, and the seriousness of the consequences is becoming more prominent. This study explores the impact of family function, empathy, and social support levels on high school students' implementation of online prosocial behaviors as cyberbullying bystanders. Results suggest that family function promotes online prosocial behaviors through empathy, social support, and a chain mediating path of empathy and social support. Gender and family function, as well as social support, have moderating roles in the paths of family function and online prosocial behaviors and social support and online prosocial behaviors, respectively. The study investigates the mechanisms behind high school students' online prosocial behaviors in relation to family function, empathy, and social support.