Abstract
As a form of peer victimisation, cyberbullying can be conceptualised as a group phenomenon; research on cyberbullying should therefore consider all participant roles, rather than focusing solely on perpetrators and victims. Bystanders are of particular interest in both traditional and cyberbullying as they have the potential to amend the situation by intervening, yet most witnesses remain passive. This paper reviews the literature on cyberbullying bystander behaviour, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative studies to identify factors that influence witnesses' responses. It further compares the ability of two theoretical frameworks (the bystander effect and social cognitive theory) to account for and integrate the diverse findings of these studies. Although the bystander effect is the dominant paradigm for explaining bystander inaction in many contexts, social cognitive theory may be better able to capture the complex and contextually dependent nature of cyberbullying situations. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of this approach for future research, and for potential interventions to improve witnesses' responses.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 183-194 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Children and Youth Services Review |
| Volume | 65 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2016 |
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Keywords
- Cyberbullying
- Cyber-bystander
- Bystander intervention
- Bystander effect
- Social cognitive theory
Cite this
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Cyber-bystanding in context : A review of the literature on witnesses' responses to cyberbullying. / Allison, Kimberley R.; Bussey, Kay.
In: Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 65, 01.06.2016, p. 183-194.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cyber-bystanding in context
T2 - Children and Youth Services Review
AU - Allison, Kimberley R.
AU - Bussey, Kay
PY - 2016/6/1
Y1 - 2016/6/1
N2 - As a form of peer victimisation, cyberbullying can be conceptualised as a group phenomenon; research on cyberbullying should therefore consider all participant roles, rather than focusing solely on perpetrators and victims. Bystanders are of particular interest in both traditional and cyberbullying as they have the potential to amend the situation by intervening, yet most witnesses remain passive. This paper reviews the literature on cyberbullying bystander behaviour, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative studies to identify factors that influence witnesses' responses. It further compares the ability of two theoretical frameworks (the bystander effect and social cognitive theory) to account for and integrate the diverse findings of these studies. Although the bystander effect is the dominant paradigm for explaining bystander inaction in many contexts, social cognitive theory may be better able to capture the complex and contextually dependent nature of cyberbullying situations. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of this approach for future research, and for potential interventions to improve witnesses' responses.
AB - As a form of peer victimisation, cyberbullying can be conceptualised as a group phenomenon; research on cyberbullying should therefore consider all participant roles, rather than focusing solely on perpetrators and victims. Bystanders are of particular interest in both traditional and cyberbullying as they have the potential to amend the situation by intervening, yet most witnesses remain passive. This paper reviews the literature on cyberbullying bystander behaviour, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative studies to identify factors that influence witnesses' responses. It further compares the ability of two theoretical frameworks (the bystander effect and social cognitive theory) to account for and integrate the diverse findings of these studies. Although the bystander effect is the dominant paradigm for explaining bystander inaction in many contexts, social cognitive theory may be better able to capture the complex and contextually dependent nature of cyberbullying situations. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of this approach for future research, and for potential interventions to improve witnesses' responses.
KW - Cyberbullying
KW - Cyber-bystander
KW - Bystander intervention
KW - Bystander effect
KW - Social cognitive theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84964409598&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.03.026
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.03.026
M3 - Article
VL - 65
SP - 183
EP - 194
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
SN - 0190-7409
ER -