Exposure to media violence and bullying at school: mediating influences of anger and contact with delinquent friends.

This study assessed a model of mediating influences of anger and contact with delinquent friends in the relationship between exposure to media violence and bullying at school. Data came from 560 Korean junior high school students who were living with their parents. Analysis indicated that, as hypothesized, exposure to media-portrayed violence was directly associated with bullying at school. Anger and contact with delinquent friends mediated this relationship. In addition, two alternative models were estimated, neither supported by the data, further sustaining the validity of the hypothesized model. Implications and directions for research are discussed.