Bystander Behavior Research Articles

The sense of responsibility and bystanders’ prosocial behavior in cyberbullying: The mediating role of compassion and the moderating roles of moral outrage and moral disgust

The sense of responsibility can play an important role in the behavior of college students involved in cyberbullying incidents. Research on the relationship between the sense of responsibility and bystander behavior in cyberbullying is limited. This study examined the relationship between the sense of responsibility and prosocial cyberbystander behavior in cyberbullying, focusing on investigating compassion as a mediator and moral emotions (i.e., moral outrage and moral disgust) as a moderator in this relation. A total of 1,114 Chinese college students (35.4% female), aged from 18 to 23 years (M = 19.55, SD = 1.05), completed an online questionnaire. Results showed that compassion played a partial mediating role in the relationship between the sense of responsibility and prosocial cyberbystander behavior. Moral outrage moderated the relationship between the sense of responsibility and prosocial cyberbystander behavior. Specifically, among participants with higher levels of moral outrage, the relationships between the sense of responsibility and prosocial cyberbystander behavior became much weaker. These results provide a new direction for promoting prosocial cyberbystander behavior.

Basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy as predictors of students' self-reported bystander behaviors over a school year: a growth curve analysis.

Though school children tend to view peer victimization as morally wrong most do not to intervene on the victim's behalf and some instead choose to aid the victimizer. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate how students' defending and pro-aggressive bystander behaviors evolved over the course of one school year and their association to basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy. Three-hundred-fifty-three upper elementary school students (55% girls; 9.9-12.9 years of age) each completed self-report surveys at three points during one school year. Results from latent growth curve models showed that pro-aggressive bystander behavior remained stable over the year, whereas defending behavior decreased. Moreover, students who exhibited greater basic moral sensitivity were both less likely to be pro-aggressive and simultaneously more likely to defend. Students with defender self-efficacy were not only associated with more defending behavior at baseline but also were also less likely to decrease in defender behavior over time. Conversely, students reporting a higher degree of moral disengagement were linked to more pro-aggressive behavior, particularly when also reporting lower basic moral sensitivity. These short-term longitudinal results add important insight into the change in bystander behavior over time and how it relates to students' sense of morality. The results also highlight the practical necessity for schools to nurture students' sense of morality and prosocial behavior in their efforts to curb peer victimization.

Can Empathy and Compassion Activation Affect Adolescents’ Empathic Responses, Compassion, and Behavioral Intentions When Witnessing Bullying?

AbstractBullying remains a significant social problem among youth and many school interventions focus on increasing bystander defending in order to reduce bullying. In this study, we employed a between-groups experimental design to examine the differential effects of brief empathy and compassion activation on different bystander responses to bullying, including (1) empathic distress, empathic anger, compassion, and (2) intended bystander behaviors (i.e., passive bystanding, aggressive defending, and prosocial defending). Participants were 110 adolescents (Mage = 13.99, SD = 0.88, age range = 13–16 years; 49.1% females), randomly assigned to an experimental group that involved a 10-min visualization exercise that focused on increasing empathy [EM] or compassion [CM], or to an active control condition [FI]. Following the visualization exercise, students viewed four short bullying videos, followed by completing self-report measures of empathy-related responses and intended bystander behaviors. Analysis of variance [ANOVAs] revealed that adolescents in the CM condition reported less empathic distress and empathic anger in response to the bullying videos than the EM and FI groups. Yet, there were no further differential effects between the three conditions on responses to the bullying videos, which emphasizes the need for future research to assess more comprehensive interventions for increasing adolescents’ compassion and prosocial defending.

Bystander actions during police work on the street: officer perspectives

ABSTRACT Studies on bystander behaviour showed that bystanders regularly intervene in conflicts and crime in public in order to de-escalate, yet these studies focus solely on the way citizens manage situations in the absence of police. Bystanders, however, are also present while police officers carry out their work and might help or challenge their performance. Based on 15 interviews with police officers and participant observation during 12 police shifts in the Netherlands, this study provides insights into the way officers perceive bystanders and experience their actions. Police officers describe bystanders as a dilemma they have to face during encounters: they want to convey a positive and fair image of themselves towards bystanders, yet also want to control the situation and show their authority. The diversity of bystander actions and the dilemma’s officers face imply that more attention should be given to bystanders of police action in both research and training.

Individual and contextual-level predictors of progression in the bystander intervention model.

The situational model of bystander behavior is a validated 5-step process for understanding intervention in bullying and sexual harassment, yet the individual-level and contextual-level factors that facilitate the progression from one step to the next are not well understood. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether individual characteristics (social-emotional skills, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and personal attitudes toward bullying and sexual harassment) and contextual-level factors (school climate and perceived peer attitudes toward bullying and sexual harassment) explained the association between subsequent steps of the bystander intervention model. A sample of 788 high school students completed several validated measures of these constructs. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that each step significantly and positively predicted the next step, and the addition of a direct path from accepting responsibility to helping improved model fit. The mediational model indicated that individual-level characteristics had significant direct effects on interpreting bullying and sexual harassment as problems, accepting responsibility, and helping, and indirect effects from noticing the bullying and sexual harassment to all subsequent steps except knowing. In contrast, contextual-level effects contributed to accepting responsibility in an inverse direction.

The roles of teacher and parental support on adolescent cyber-bystander behaviors: a path analysis.

The role of bystanders in cyberbullying situations is critical, with the potential to significantly influence outcomes. Bystanders who demonstrate positive behaviors-such as reporting incidents or supporting victims-can help to mitigate the damaging effects of cyberbullying. Based on the Social Cognitive Theory, this study seeks to address the psychosocial mechanisms that underlie positive cyber-bystander behaviors. A total of 1,716 students in Grades 8-12 from three secondary schools in China participated in this study. Path analysis was utilized to delineate the relationships between internet self-efficacy, empathy, teacher and parental support, and cyber-bystander behaviors. Adolescents who received greater support from teachers were more likely to demonstrate increased internet self-efficacy and empathy. In contrast, higher levels of parental warmth were associated with lower levels of internet self-efficacy. Teacher support and parental warmth exerted an indirect effect on positive bystander behaviors through empathy. The importance of parental warmth paired with Internet self-efficacy in preventing online interpersonal violence and motivate active bystander behaviors is considerable. We recommend adopting a nuanced approach that differentiates between empathy and internet self-efficacy in cyber-bystander research.

The role of moral disengagement and classroom collective efficacy in social support and bystander behavior of elementary school students: A multilevel moderated mediation analysis.

Few studies have examined the process of the relationship between social support and bystander behavior, and previous research has primarily focused on individual- or group-level correlates of bystander behavior without a full understanding of these correlates and their interactions. To address this research gap, the present study examined whether social support and moral disengagement at the individual level, as well as collective efficacy at the classroom level, were associated with bystander behavior in school bullying situations. Questionnaires were administered to 1,310 elementary school students in Grades 4-6 (Mage = 10.97 ± 0.98 years) from 61 classes in the Zhejiang Province of China. Multilevel moderated mediation analyses revealed that higher levels of social support were directly related to more defender behavior and less reinforcer and outsider behavior, and social support was also related to bystander behavior through the indirect role of moral disengagement. In classrooms with higher levels of collective efficacy to stop peer bullying, students tended to show more defender behavior and less outsider behavior. Higher levels of classroom collective efficacy did not moderate the relationship between moral disengagement and defender behavior, although it did inhibit the reinforcer and outsider behaviors of those with high levels of moral disengagement. This study sheds light on the relationship between multiple factors and bystander behavior at both the individual and classroom levels and contributes to the understanding of school bullying in the context of peer group interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The bystander approach to prevention

In 2018, the Australian Human Rights Commission identified that in 40% of sexual harassment cases at least one other person witnessed the incident, and that in most of those incidents (69%), bystanders did not intervene. The oil and gas sector has normalised stop work and intervene as a workplace health and safety practice. What if, as an industry, our workforce was as confident and capable in intervening in harassment as they are when witnessing risks to physical safety? At MATE (Motivating Action Through Empowerment, Griffith University), we believe that change starts with the individual. Our training is based on the idea that not only do we have an opportunity to do the important work around raising the bar on acceptable behaviour, we have a responsibility. It is the work we do at an individual level with our peers that has a ripple effect on the people within our sphere of influence and ultimately makes the difference. This is the philosophy that underpins our approach to creating respectful workplaces. We help to develop effective leaders who have the tools to action change within our workplaces and our greater community. Since 2022, TechnipFMC Australia’s STRIVE (Supporting TechnipFMC to Reach Its Vision of Equity) team has been working closely with MATE to roll out a training package to its workforce, building an understanding of the role of the bystander in creating a safe and respectful workplace. The content will explore the benefits of active bystander behaviour, why TechnipFMC sees value in investing in the program and the impact of the program post-session.

Adolescents High in Callous-Unemotional Traits are Prone to be Bystanders: The Roles of Moral Disengagement, Moral Identity, and Perceived Social Support.

Bystanders are the most common role that adolescents play in bullying episodes, they have considerable influence on the formation of the victim's experience and the perpetrator's behavior. Based on the social-cognitive model, the current study examined the mediating role of moral disengagement in the association between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior and the moderating roles of moral identity and perceived social support. Participants included 2,286 Chinese adolescents aged 11-16years (49.3% boys; Mage = 13.46, SDage = 0.93). The study showed callous-unemotional traits were significantly and positively associated with bystander behavior and this relation was partially mediated by moral disengagement. Moral identity moderated the relation between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement as well as callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior. Perceived social support moderated in the direct and indirect associations between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior via moral disengagement. The relation between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement and the relation between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior became weaker for adolescents with high perceived social support. Surprisingly, the relation between moral disengagement and bystander behavior became stronger for adolescents with a high level of perceived social support. The results supported two specific patterns of perceived social support: stress-buffering and reverse stress-buffering. The present study contributes to our understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the association between callous-unemotional traits and adolescents' bystander behavior.

The effect of third-party intervention on normative behavior of bystanders: An explanation of the social norm cueing effect

Third-party interventions play a crucial role in upholding social norms and have evolutionary implications for human societies. Nevertheless, research on the effects of third-party interventions, particularly third-party compensation, on bystanders' norm compliance remains scarce. We conducted two studies to explore how third-party interventions affect bystanders' adherence to social norms and the underlying mechanisms, focusing on the perception of social norms. Study 1 examined the effects of third-party interventions, presented as group summary information, on bystanders using the dictator game paradigm. The findings revealed that both third-party punishment and compensation positively affected bystanders' fairness, with norm perceptions serving as a mediating factor. Employing a similar paradigm to Study 1, Study 2 assessed the effect of third-party interventions conveyed through individual behavior information on bystanders. The results showed that the effect of third-party interventions on bystanders' fairness depended on how representative the interventions were perceived to be. We conclude that both third-party compensation and third-party punishment can encourage bystanders to conform to social norms by shaping their norm perceptions. The findings suggest a novel method for reinforcing social norms, potentially signaling a shift from retributive to restorative justice approaches.

Family Emotional Expressiveness and Adolescents' Cyberbullying Bystanders: The Mediating Role of Empathy.

The significant influence of family emotional expressiveness (FEE) on adolescents' face-to-face social interactions is well-established. However, there has been limited investigation into potential links between FEE and adolescents' online social behaviors, especially cyberbullying bystander behaviors, which are pivotal in cyberbullying incidents. This study aimed to assess the relative importance of different aspects of FEE (positive FEE vs. negative FEE vs. the Positive-to-Negative ratio) in predicting adolescents' cyberbullying bystander behaviors, and the mediating roles of affective and cognitive empathy in these relationships. A sample of 1,952 adolescents (Mage = 14.18, SD = 1.33) completed questionnaires, including the Family Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire, Basic Empathy Scale, and Cyberbullying Bystander Behavior Scale. SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.3 were used for analysis. (1) Positive FEE exhibited a positive association with protective behavior and a negative association with indifferent behavior. Conversely, negative FEE showed positive associations with reinforcing and indifferent behaviors. However, the Positive-to-Negative ratio did not exhibit significant associations with any of the three bystander behaviors. (2) Negative FEE emerged as relatively more significant than both positive FEE and the Positive-to-Negative ratio in predicting reinforcing and indifferent behaviors. (3) Affective empathy mediated the relationship between positive FEE and reinforcing behavior, while cognitive empathy mediated the relationship between positive FEE and protective and indifferent behaviors. Moreover, cognitive empathy exerted a more influential role than affective empathy in this mediation process. Various aspects of FEE demonstrated distinct relationships with three cyberbullying bystander behaviors, with affective and cognitive empathy playing an important mediating role in the association. This finding holds substantial implications for the development of cyberbullying prevention strategies. Such strategies could target the reduction of negative emotional expression within adolescent families and the cultivation of both cognitive and affective empathy.

What would you do? Developing, implementing and evaluating a coach bystander intervention to prevent sexual violence in youth sports clubs

With current estimates of up to one in three children experiencing some form of sexual violence in sports, the need for effective measures to prevent sexual violence in sports is high. Survivors’ narratives of sexual violence in sports uncover the lack of (adequate) bystander action and the urgent need for stakeholder education to effectively prevent sexual violence in youth sports. This study presents the “All Aboard” educational program, targeting youth sports coaches in Flanders (Belgium). The program aimed to stimulate the intentions of youth coaches to engage in positive bystander behavior to adequately detect, assess, and respond to signs of sexual violence toward young athletes. After two pilot studies, this program was implemented in nine Flemish sports clubs. Coaches’ readiness to change, intentions and attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control were measured before and after they participated in the program using the “And what would you do?” questionnaire, constructed according to the Reasoned Action Approach. After the program, positive change was found in coaches’ intentions to be a positive bystander, e.g., they acknowledged the value of being a positive bystander, felt more comfortable being a positive bystander and believed that doing so would improve the situation. This article is one of the first to report on an evidence-based intervention program to prevent sexual violence in sports by fostering positive attitudes toward positive bystander behaviors by coaches. Opportunities and challenges of implementing education to prevent sexual violence in local sports clubs are discussed. Lay summary: Sexual violence is very common in youth sports and therefore education about this topic is crucial. The “All Aboard” program teaches youth coaches how to act as a positive bystander in the detection and response to situations of sexual violence. The program has successfully improved coaches’ attitudes and willingness to intervene.

Исследование эффекта стороннего наблюдателя в различных ситуациях оказания помощи

<p><strong>Objective. </strong>Explore the presence of the bystander effect in both general situations and emergency situations.<br><strong>Background. </strong>The bystander effect, a classic discovery in social psychology, has attracted significant attention in recent years due to instances of bystander indifference in society. This phenomenon raises the question of whether the bystander effect occurs not only in general situations where help is needed but also in emergency situations. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>The study uses empirical research to investigate the existence of the bystander effect in general and emergency situations. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>Chinese sample: 200 people (university students from Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Xi'an International Studies University in China) from 18 to 28 years old (<em>M</em> = 23,50; <em>SD</em> = 4,15). <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>The used scenarios are based on McGuire’s (1994) taxonomy of helping behaviors. <br><strong>Results. </strong>The results indicate that the bystander effect is present in general helping situations, but not in emergency scenarios. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>This means that individuals are more likely to exhibit bystander behavior when encountering a situation where assistance is needed but not urgent. However, in emergency situations, the bystander effect does not seem to influence individuals' willingness to help.</p>

Why step in? Shifting justifications for bystander behaviors through interventions with youth in the Middle East.

Research shows positive bystander intervention effectively mitigates bullying experiences. Yet, more evidence regarding bystander responses to bias-based social exclusion (BSE) is needed in intergroup contexts, especially in the majority world and in areas of intractable conflict. This study assessed the effectiveness of skills and skills + contact-based interventions for BSE among 148 Palestinian Citizens of Israel (Mage = 10.55) and 154 Jewish-Israeli (Mage = 10.54) early adolescents (Girls = 52.32%) in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Bystander responses were assessed by participants' reactions to hypothetical BSE scenarios over three time points. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed both interventions significantly increased positive and decreased negative bystander responses, with changes maintained at the follow-up. The opposite result pattern emerged for the control group. Findings suggest that both interventions can effectively encourage youth to publicly challenge BSE, even amidst intractable conflict.

Third-party intervention in high-risk situations in Africa: exploring factors influencing bystander intervention in sexual violence among college students

ABSTRACT In recent times, bystander intervention has become an integral part of the effort to address the high prevalence rates of sexual violence on college campuses. Bystanders put their lives at risk by preventing high-risk situations from happening. Despite their critical role, bystander intervention has not been adequately examined to understand their decision-making process. The current study examined the behaviour of bystanders from an African perspective using college student data from Ghana and Ivory Coast. Specifically, the study examined the influence of sexual consent attitudes, personality traits, sense of community, and prior experiences of sexual violence on two dimensions of bystander intervention. The results revealed that lack of behavioural control, sexual consent norms, and a sense of community influence bystanders’ decision to intervene. Also, while personality traits failed to explain bystander behaviour, experience with sexual violence did. These findings offer important insights into developing effective sexual assault programmes on campus.

Bystander Intervention Programs Focusing on Sexual Violence in Academia—A Scoping Review

Sexual violence within academia is a major concern, and increased attention is being given to bystander interventions to combat these behaviors. This scoping review aimed to investigate bystander intervention programs focused on the prevention of sexual violence in universities worldwide. Literature searches were conducted using ERC, ERIC, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and PubMed databases. The inclusion criteria were: university-based assessments of a bystander intervention program, and pretest–posttest designs. In total, 1,644 articles were identified, of which 68 were included in the final analysis. Most of the programs focused on students as the target population, and the bystander interventions covered different aspects such as creating new community norms for intervening, increasing a sense of responsibility for intervening, increasing the participants’ feelings of competence, and providing role models for positive bystander behavior. There was a clear trend to use a combination of interactive and educational didactic methods. The programs were mostly delivered in person on campuses. Their outcomes included changes in norms, knowledge, and behaviors. In more one-third of the selected articles, the programs and initiatives were assessed using a pretest–posttest design only, almost just as many had additional follow-up conducted within 3 months. Most intervention programs achieved their intended impacts relating to bystanders and sexual violence, at least in the short term. Thus, investments in these types of preventative initiatives by organizations other than academic institutions could be beneficial.

Bystander Intervention in Football and Sports. A Quasi-Experimental Feasibility Study of a Bystander Violence Prevention Program in the United Kingdom.

In recent years, social campaigns and high-profile cases have brought increased attention to violence against women. Athletes can be role models, shaping both prosocial and antisocial attitudes. Their engagement in violence prevention could be an effective tool to tackle violence against women through bystander intervention. This part of a mixed-method feasibility study reports on the quantitative evaluation of an evidence-led bystander program, Football Onside, implemented at a football club in South West England in June 2018 to February 2020. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with intervention and control groups. Football coaches and club members (n = 50) completed measures of rape and domestic abuse myths, bystander intent and efficacy, self-reported bystander behaviors, readiness for change, perceptions of peer helping and myth acceptance, law knowledge, and program evaluation. Fidelity was also assessed. The analysis compared between- and within-group differences in mean changes over time using mixed-effects models. Participant ratings of learning outcomes were high, and fidelity was maintained throughout the intervention. Between-group comparison revealed mixed results, with greater improvements in the intervention group for bystander intent and efficacy at post-test and follow-up, domestic abuse myths at post-test, and rape myth acceptance at follow-up. Model contrasts for within intervention group revealed improvements in rape and domestic abuse myth acceptance, bystander intent and efficacy, perceived law knowledge at both time points, and perceived peer myths and helping at post-test. At follow-up, intervention participants reported significantly higher engagement in bystander behaviors. No significant effects were found for perceived importance of legal knowledge. Our research highlights the potential efficacy of a bystander program tailored for football club members. Cluster-randomized control trials are now required to examine bystander attitudes and behavior change processes among professional athletes.

Providing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Nonbinary, and Queer Adolescents With Nurturance, Trustworthiness, and Safety: Protocol for Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Design.

Sexual and gender minority youths (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, and queer individuals) face elevated risks of substance use (eg, alcohol and tobacco) and mental health issues (eg, depressive symptoms and suicidality) compared to their cisgender heterosexual peers. These inequities are hypothesized to be reduced by building supportive high school environments via the training of school staff. An intervention that trains school staff to better understand and support sexual and gender minority youths and engage in positive bystander behaviors that protect them from bullying exposure may reduce disparities in drug and alcohol use among them. Experts, school staff, and sexual and gender minority youths developed Providing LGBTQ+ Adolescents with Nurturance, Trustworthiness, and Safety (PLANTS), a web-based intervention to train school staff on how to support, affirm, and protect sexual and gender minority youths. This paper describes the design of the PLANTS pilot trial primarily aimed at assessing its acceptability, usability, appropriateness, and feasibility. We hypothesize PLANTS will have high acceptability, usability, appropriateness, and feasibility as rated by the school staff. Secondary objectives focus on implementation, safety, and pre-post changes in high school staff outcomes, including self-efficacy and skills (eg, active-empathic listening and bullying intervention). Exploratory objectives focus on the impact of PLANTS on student health outcomes. In a 2-arm cluster randomized controlled trial, high schools in Massachusetts are allocated to PLANTS or an active comparator group (publicly available sexual and gender minority youths resources or training). High school staff complete pretest and posttest surveys containing validated scales. Primary outcomes are validated measures of acceptability, usability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the intervention completed by staff during posttest surveys. To test our primary hypotheses for each outcome, we will calculate means and 95% CIs and P values using 1-sample 2-sided t tests against a priori thresholds or benchmarks of success. Secondary outcomes include staff's active-empathetic listening skills, self-efficacy for working with sexual and gender minority youths, bystander intervention behaviors for bullying and cyberbullying, and self-efficacy for PLANTS' change objectives completed during pretest and posttest staff surveys. Staff can also complete a posttest interview guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavior model and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Exploratory outcomes include student-level data collected via the 2021 and 2023 MetroWest Adolescent Health Surveys, a health behavior surveillance system in 30 Massachusetts schools. School enrollment began in May 2023 and participant enrollment began in June 2023. Data collection is expected to be completed by February 2024. This pilot trial will yield important information about the PLANTS intervention and provide necessary information to conduct a fully powered trial of the efficacy of PLANTS for reducing the deleterious health inequities experienced by sexual and gender minority youths. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05897827; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05897827. DERR1-10.2196/55210.

Individual and Contextual Correlates of Latent Bystander Profiles toward Racist Hate Speech: A Multilevel Person-centered Approach

Prior research into bystander responses to hate speech has utilized variable-centered analyses — such approaches risk simplifying the complex nature of bystander behaviors. Hence, the present study used a person-centered analysis to investigate latent hate speech bystander profiles. In addition, individual and classroom-level correlates associated with the various profiles were studied. The sample included 3225 students in grades 7–9 (51.7% self-identified as female; 37.2% with immigrant background) from 215 classrooms in Germany and Switzerland. The latent profile analysis revealed that four distinct profiles could be distinguished: Passive Bystanders (34.2%), Defenders (47.3%), Revengers (9.8%), and Contributors (8.6%). Multilevel logistic regression models showed common and distinct correlates. For example, students who believed that certain social groups are superior were more likely to be Revengers and Contributors than Passive Bystanders, students who felt more connected with teachers were more likely to be Defenders, and students who were more open to diversity were less likely to be Contributors than Passive Bystanders. Students were less likely Defenders and more likely Revengers and Contributors than Passive Bystanders in classrooms with high rates of hate speech perpetration. Further, in classrooms with high hate speech intervention, students were more likely to be Defenders and less likely to be Contributors than Passive Bystanders. In classrooms with stronger cohesion, students were more likely to be Defenders and less likely to be Contributors than Passive Bystanders. In conclusion, the findings add to our understanding of bystander profiles concerning racist hate speech and the relevance of individual and classroom-level factors in explaining various profiles of bystander behavior.

The Moral Maze of Cyberbullying: Navigating the Roles of Victims, Bystanders, and Perpetrators in the Cycle of Harm

ABSTRACT The available literature suggests that cyberbullying victims might be prone to become cyber-perpetrators themselves and that cyber-passive bystanders might be influenced by their cyberbullying experience and moral disengagement. The current study aimed to investigate the role of cyberbullying victimization and passive bystander behavior as predictors of cyberbullying aggression, while accounting for the mediating role of moral disengagement (specifically related to cyberbullying) and the moderating role of gender. We recruited 840 Romanian participants (78.6% females), aged 18 to 35 (M = 21.16, SD = 2.38). Results suggested that male participants reported higher cyberbullying aggression, passive bystander behavior, and moral disengagement. Both cyberbullying victimization and passive bystander behavior predicted cyberbullying aggression. Moral disengagement mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying aggression, as well as between passive bystander behavior and cyberbullying victimization. Furthermore, gender moderated the effect of passive bystander behavior on moral disengagement. Also, passive bystander behavior predicted moral disengagement only for male participants. The current results highlight that cyber-victims and bystanders with high moral disengagement might have higher chances of becoming cyber-aggressors.