Introduction:

A growing number of studies have demonstrated consistent links between Bandura’s moral disengagement theory and disruptive and inhumane behaviors. The direct and indirect relation- ships of moral disengagement with bullying, cyberbullying, and other aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents have recently been explored, ensuring a review of key findings.

Objective:

To review the literature and empirical evidence on the effect of moral disengagement on children’s and adolescents’ engagement in bullying, cyberbullying, and other aggressive behaviors.

Method:

This was a documentary review study. The literature search was carried out in the Web of Science. Forty-five empirical studies were included for analysis.

Results:

Were found that moral disengagement and its different socio-cognitive strategies have direct and indirect effects that predict child and adolescent involvement in bullying, cyberbullying, aggressive and antisocial behaviors. Additionally, empathy, friendship relationships, parenting, prosocial tendencies, anger and callous-unemotional traits are factors that together contribute to the development, maintenance or decrease of bullying and cyberbullying behaviors. It was also reported that males present a greater tendency than females to bullying, cyberbullying, aggression, and use of moral disengagement.

Conclusions:

The importance of moral cognition processes for the development of psychoeducational and psychosocial intervention strategies aimed at preventing and reducing bullying and cyberbullying in children and adolescents is pointed out.

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