A Gender Difference in Moderating Effect of Two Variables between Smartphone Addiction and Cyber Bullying Victimization

This study tests a gender difference in the effect of smartphone addiction on cyber bullying victimization. In addition, this study examines the moderating effect of both cyber bullying peers and low self-control between smartphone addiction and cyber bullying victimization. In surveying 256 male and female college students in Seoul, results show that the effect of smartphone addiction on bullying offending is significant in male, while its effect is not significant on female. However, it is shown that the effect of smartphone addiction on bullying victimization is significant in both male and female but its effect is stronger in female. In testing whether the moderating effect of both cyber bullying peers and low self-control are different and stronger in female than in male, it is found that the interaction effect between smartphone addiction and cyber bullying peers on cyber bullying victimization is significant in female and it is not significant in male. It is also found that the interaction effects between smartphone addiction and low self-controls on cyber bullying victimization are not significant in both male and female. Those results imply that an explanation of bullying victimization is different across male and female.