Abstract
This study aims to explore the mediation of revenge planning and anger rumination in the associations among face-to-face victimization, cyber victimization, and cyber-displaced aggression. Cyber-displaced aggression occurs when individuals direct their frustration towards innocent parties online due to an inability to retaliate directly. Data were collected from 489 young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25, from a university in the Midwestern United States. Measures included cyber and face-to-face victimization, cyber-displaced aggression, face-to-face displaced aggression, cyber victimization, emotional reactions, like anger rumination, and cognitive reactions, such as revenge planning. One year later, participants completed a questionnaire on cyber-displaced aggression. Results indicated that both forms of victimization predicted increased levels of cyber-displaced aggression one year later. Revenge planning and anger rumination significantly mediated these relationships. The findings underscore the importance of understanding emotional and cognitive factors in mitigating cyber-displaced aggression and inform strategies for reducing online aggression.