<p>According to the General Aggression Model (GAM), individual factors and situational factors (e.g., media violence) can increase aggression through two pathways: by influencing rumination and empathy, ultimately manifesting in outward aggressive behavior. Therefore, this study aims to examine the long-term effects of media violence exposure on aggressive behavior over time among Chinese adolescents, as well as the longitudinal mediating roles of rumination and empathy in this process. A sample of 283 Chinese adolescents was assessed at three-time points over six-month intervals using the Exposure to Violent Media Questionnaire (ETVMQ), the Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire (BWAQ), the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and the Basic Empathy Scale (BES). Data were analyzed using a cross-lagged panel model and multi-group analysis. Considering the potential influence of individual factors on data analysis, this study included adolescents’ gender, age, and trait anger as control variables. The results revealed that after controlling for gender, age, and trait anger, media violence exposure at the initial time point significantly and positively predicted aggressive behavior at later time points; Media violence exposure at the first time point (T1) indirectly influenced aggressive behavior at the third time point (T3) through rumination and empathy at the second time point (T2); The longitudinal mediating effects were consistent across genders. These findings support and validate the General Aggression Model, indicating that media violence exposure has long-term effects on adolescent aggressive behavior over time, with rumination and empathy serving as stable mediators of this relationship.</p>