The effects of self-control on bullying behaviour among martial arts practicing adolescents: based on the analyses of multiple mediation effects

Bullying behaviour is becoming alarmingly common among adolescents, and it significantly affects their physical and mental health. Martial arts emphasizes moral practice and self-control, and it improves emotional management ability. Hence, adolescents who practice martial arts may have better self-regulation and tend to perform fewer bullying behaviours. The purpose of this study was to explore the internal mechanisms between self-control and bullying behaviour among martial arts practicing (MAP) adolescents. The study included 775 adolescents (males = 515, age M = 13.48, SD = 1.11) who responded to questionnaires to assess self-control, negative affect, aggression, and bullying behaviour. The results showed that (1) The self-control level of MAP adolescents was higher than that of non-MAP counterparts while the bullying behaviour level of MAP adolescents was lower than that of non-MAP counterparts; (2) Self-control was negatively associated with bullying behaviour through indirect effects, and negative affect and aggression played key mediatory roles that contributed to most of the indirect effects. Our findings indicate a potential mechanism to understand the role of self-control in reducing bullying behaviour in MAP adolescents. Based on our findings, regular martial arts training is recommended as a physical education curriculum in school.