Callous-Unemotional traits and cyberbullying perpetration: The mediating role of moral disengagement and the moderating role of empathy

•Callous-unemotional traits was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying perpetration.•Moral disengagement partially mediated the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and cyberbullying perpetration.•Empathy moderated the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement.•Empathy also moderated the relationship between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration. Although callous-unemotional traits have been shown to play an important role in cyberbullying perpetration, little is known about mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. In the present study, we examined the mediating role of moral disengagement in the association between callous-unemotional traits and cyberbullying perpetration and the moderating role of empathy. Six hundred and fifty Chinese college students completed the measures of callous-unemotional traits, moral disengagement, cyberbullying perpetration, and empathy. The results indicated that callous-unemotional traits were significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying perpetration, and moral disengagement partially mediated this relationship. Moderated mediation analysis further indicated that empathy moderated the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement as well as moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration. These two relationships became weaker for college students with higher levels of empathy. Results highlight the significance of identifying the mechanisms that moderate the mediated paths between callous-unemotional traits and college student cyberbullying perpetration.