Towards Understanding the Personal and Situational Factors of Cyber Aggression: A Theoretical Review

Abstract

The act of aggression through computer-mediated-communication is often coined as cyber aggression. The media reports attracted social scientists to study the phenomenon. Unfortunately, local research is limited; therefore, many policies and practices are being developed and implemented without a solid research foundation. A study is conducted to understand the factors that lead to cyber aggression among youths in Malaysia. The study proposed a contemporary general aggression model as the underpinning theory and the media system dependency for this study. The model explains the situational and aggression factors between parents and peer influences, youth’s personality trait, internet exposure and cyber aggression.