Moral disengagement and bullying behavior: Psychometric evaluation of a new scale in a Turkish sample

Abstract

This study aimed to adapt the Moral Disengagement in Bullying Behavior Scale (MDBBS) developed by Jeong et al. (2024) into Turkish and examine its psychometric properties. The research was conducted with a total of 509 university students across two different samples. The construct validity of the scale was examined through Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). As a result of the EFA, a single-factor structure consistent with the original scale was obtained, and a 13-item form was finalized after the removal of item 5. The CFA results confirmed the single-factor structure (χ²/df = 2.292, CFI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.065). The scale demonstrated a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .901 and a McDonald's omega coefficient of .899. For criterion validity, the MDBBS showed significant positive correlations with the Moral Disengagement Scale (r = 0.521), Cyberbullying (r = 0.323), Cyber Victimization (r = 0.297), and Depression (r = 0.192), and a significant negative correlation with Psychological Well-being (r = -0.294). These findings indicate that the Turkish version of the MDBBS is a valid and reliable measurement tool. The adaptation of the MDBBS into Turkish will contribute to advancing research in the areas of bullying and moral disengagement and provide a valuable instrument for the development of bullying prevention and intervention programs.

Keywords

• Moral disengagement
• Bullying behavior
• Scale adaptation

Ahlaki uzaklaşma ve zorbalık davranışı: Türkiye örnekleminde yeni bir ölçeğin psikometrik incelenmesi

Öz

Bu çalışmada, Jeong ve arkadaşları (2024) tarafından geliştirilen Ahlaki Uzaklaşma Zorbalık Davranışı Ölçeği'nin (AUZDÖ) Türkçeye uyarlanması ve psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, iki farklı örneklemdeki toplam 510 üniversite öğrencisi üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Ölçeğin yapı geçerliği Açımlayıcı Faktör Analizi (AFA) ve Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) ile incelenmiştir. AFA sonucunda, orijinal ölçekle tutarlı olarak tek faktörlü bir yapı elde edilmiş, 5. maddenin çıkarılmasıyla 13 maddelik bir form oluşturulmuştur. DFA sonuçları, tek faktörlü yapıyı doğrulamıştır (χ²/sd = 2.292, CFI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.065). Ölçeğin Cronbach alfa katsayısı .901, McDonald omega katsayısı .899 olarak bulunmuştur. Ölçüt geçerliği kapsamında, AUZDÖ'nün Ahlaki Uzaklaşma Ölçeği (r = 0.521), Siber Zorbalık (r = 0.323), Siber Mağduriyet (r = 0.297) ve Depresyon (r = 0.192) ile pozitif; Psikolojik İyi Oluş (r = -0.294) ile negatif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Bu bulgular, AUZDÖ'nün Türkçe formunun geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğunu göstermektedir. AUZDÖ'nün Türkçe uyarlaması, zorbalık ve ahlaki uzaklaşma alanındaki araştırmaların gelişimine katkı sağlayacak, ayrıca zorbalığı önleme ve müdahale programlarının geliştirilmesinde kullanılabilecek değerli bir araç sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ahlaki uzaklaşma
• zorbalık davranışı
• ölçek uyarlama

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