Bullying is a global social problem with serious physical, psychological, and academic consequences for children, adolescents, and emerging adults. It is often defined as intentionally aggressive behavior that is repeatedly perpetrated and involves an imbalance of power between bullies and victims. Bullying occurs both in the physical (e.g., schoolyard and the way to or from school) (i.e., traditional bullying) and virtual contexts (e.g., social networking sites and instant messengers) (i.e., cyberbullying). In bullying incidents, bystanders are a large group, and their behavior may alter the impacts and developmental course of the bullying incident. Bystanders’ positive behavior (e.g., helping the victim) may alleviate the harmful effects on victims and inhibit the bullying incident, whereas their negative behavior (e.g., reinforcing the bully) may reinforce the perpetrators’ behavior and exacerbate the bullying incident. To develop prevention or intervention strategies for bullying, it is crucial to investigate bystanders’ behavior in bullying incidents.
This Research Topic aims to deepen our knowledge about the characteristics, antecedents, outcomes, and interventions for bystander behavior in both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The key point of this Research Topic is to analyze how the interactive dynamics between individual and contextual factors predict bystander behavior in bullying. This Research Topic will also identify the general characteristics or types of bystanders’ reactions to bullying incidents. The possible effects of different types of bystander behavior on bullies, victims, and the developmental course of the bullying incident will be investigated. Furthermore, our ultimate aim is to develop intervention suggestions or strategies for bullying from the perspective of the bystander.
The scope of this Research Topic is to provide an overview of original or review papers investigating bystander behavior in traditional bullying/cyberbullying in children, adolescents, or young adults. Empirical research (including quantitative and qualitative studies) is preferred, and theoretical analyses are also welcome. The contributions from diverse cultures (e.g., eastern culture) or adjacent disciplines (e.g., sociology and communication) are encouraged.
Contributions may include but are not limited to studies concerning:
• Characteristics or types of bystander behavior in bullying (traditional bullying or cyberbullying)
• Individual or contextual factors predicting bystander behavior in bullying
• Possible mediators/moderators to explain the relationships between antecedents and bystander behavior in bullying
• Impacts or outcomes caused by bystanders’ different types of behavior in bullying
• Comparison of bystander behavior in traditional bullying and cyberbullying in terms of its characteristics, antecedents, or outcomes
• Theoretical models to integrate the relationships between antecedents/outcomes and bystander behavior in bullying
• Systematic review or meta-analysis of previous research on bystander behavior in bullying
• Cross-cultural differences in bystander behavior in bullying
• Prevention/intervention strategies from the perspective of the bystander in bullying
Bullying is a global social problem with serious physical, psychological, and academic consequences for children, adolescents, and emerging adults. It is often defined as intentionally aggressive behavior that is repeatedly perpetrated and involves an imbalance of power between bullies and victims. Bullying occurs both in the physical (e.g., schoolyard and the way to or from school) (i.e., traditional bullying) and virtual contexts (e.g., social networking sites and instant messengers) (i.e., cyberbullying). In bullying incidents, bystanders are a large group, and their behavior may alter the impacts and developmental course of the bullying incident. Bystanders’ positive behavior (e.g., helping the victim) may alleviate the harmful effects on victims and inhibit the bullying incident, whereas their negative behavior (e.g., reinforcing the bully) may reinforce the perpetrators’ behavior and exacerbate the bullying incident. To develop prevention or intervention strategies for bullying, it is crucial to investigate bystanders’ behavior in bullying incidents.
This Research Topic aims to deepen our knowledge about the characteristics, antecedents, outcomes, and interventions for bystander behavior in both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The key point of this Research Topic is to analyze how the interactive dynamics between individual and contextual factors predict bystander behavior in bullying. This Research Topic will also identify the general characteristics or types of bystanders’ reactions to bullying incidents. The possible effects of different types of bystander behavior on bullies, victims, and the developmental course of the bullying incident will be investigated. Furthermore, our ultimate aim is to develop intervention suggestions or strategies for bullying from the perspective of the bystander.
The scope of this Research Topic is to provide an overview of original or review papers investigating bystander behavior in traditional bullying/cyberbullying in children, adolescents, or young adults. Empirical research (including quantitative and qualitative studies) is preferred, and theoretical analyses are also welcome. The contributions from diverse cultures (e.g., eastern culture) or adjacent disciplines (e.g., sociology and communication) are encouraged.
Contributions may include but are not limited to studies concerning:
• Characteristics or types of bystander behavior in bullying (traditional bullying or cyberbullying)
• Individual or contextual factors predicting bystander behavior in bullying
• Possible mediators/moderators to explain the relationships between antecedents and bystander behavior in bullying
• Impacts or outcomes caused by bystanders’ different types of behavior in bullying
• Comparison of bystander behavior in traditional bullying and cyberbullying in terms of its characteristics, antecedents, or outcomes
• Theoretical models to integrate the relationships between antecedents/outcomes and bystander behavior in bullying
• Systematic review or meta-analysis of previous research on bystander behavior in bullying
• Cross-cultural differences in bystander behavior in bullying
• Prevention/intervention strategies from the perspective of the bystander in bullying
