Flavia Culcasi

Self-regulatory self-efficacy belief (i.e., SRSE) represents a fundamental factor for adjustment in adolescence, as a vehicle to promote positive behaviors and protect youths from transgressions and maladjustment. Research attested that, during adolescence, boys are more vulnerable to externalizing behaviors than girls, especially when they perceive themselves as scarcely capable of managing and orienting their behaviors and when they possess impairments in impulsivity. Previous studies firmly supported the crucial role of SRSE, especially in the offline context in adolescence. Still, very few studies investigated its impact in the online context, although nowadays, the Internet represents one of the most significant environments for youths’ daily lives. Thus, we aimed to examine the protective moderating role of SRSE in online and offline aggressive behaviors beyond youths’ temperamental vulnerabilities, such as high impulsivity. A sample of 318 Italian adolescents (M_age = 15.21; SD = 0.51; 57% boys; 40% girls; 3% third gender) were asked to complete the Impulsivity Scale at Wave 1, online and offline aggressive behaviors scales at Wave 2, and SRSE at Wave 2. The multiple-group-by-gender moderation model evidenced that, for what concerns online aggression, beyond the direct effects of impulsivity in boys and girls, SRSE directly affected online aggression and mediated the effect of impulsivity in girls. In contrast, impulsivity significantly affected offline aggressive behaviors only indirectly through the impact of SRSE, and SRSE directly influenced these behaviors in both genders. These results hold for the effects of youth’s age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and years of education completed. This work preliminary evidenced that, contrary to previous studies which focused mainly on the vulnerability of boys to aggressive conduct, impulsivity had direct effects on online aggressive behaviors in girls, and SRSE can protect adolescents of both genders in the online context by predicting low online aggression and represents a protective factor from the indirect effects that impulsivity impairments can also have in the offline context.

Self-regulatory Self-efficacy belief (i.e., SRSE) represents a fundamental factor for adjustment in adolescence, as a vehicle to promote positive behaviors and protect youths from transgressions and maladjustment Bandura et al., 2003; LaRose et al., 2010). Research attested that, during adolescence, boys are more vulnerable to externalizing behaviors than girls, especially when they perceive themselves as scarcely capable of managing and orienting their behaviors, and when they possess impairments in impulsivity (Bandura et al., 2001; Muris, 2006). Previous studies firmly supported the key role of SRSE especially in the offline context in adolescence, but very few studies investigated its impact in the online context, although nowadays Internet represents one of the most significant environments for youths’ daily lives (LaRose et al., 2010; Favini et al., 2023). Thus, we aimed to examine the protective moderating role of SRSE in online and offline aggressive behaviors, beyond youths’ temperamental vulnerabilities, such as high levels of impulsivity. A sample of 318 Italian adolescents (Mage=15.21; SD=.51; 57% boys; 40% girls; 3% third gender) were asked to complete the Impulsivity Scale at Wave1, online and offline aggressive behaviors scales at Wave 2, and SRSE at Wave 2. Multiple-group-by-gender moderation model evidenced that, for what concerns online aggression, beyond the direct effects of impulsivity in boys and girls, SRSE directly affected online aggression and mediated the effect of impulsivity in girls. In contrast, impulsivity significantly affected offline aggressive behaviors only indirectly through the effects of SRSE, and SRSE directly influenced these behaviors in both genders. These results hold for the effects of youth’s age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and years of education completed. This work preliminary evidenced that, contrary to previous studies which focused especially on the vulnerability of boys to aggressive conduct, impulsivity had direct effects on online aggressive behaviors in girls, and SRSE can protect adolescents of both genders in the online context, by predicting low online aggression, and represent a protective factor from the indirect effects that im-pulsivity impairments can have also in the offline context.