| Title |
Differences in cyberbullying bystanders' reactions when encountering aggressors of varying proximity |
| Authors |
Kairys, Antanas ; Gegieckaitė, Goda ; Pakalniškienė, Vilmantė |
| DOI |
10.1024/2673-8627/a000085 |
| Full Text |
|
| Is Part of |
European journal of psychology open: Abstract book of the 19th European congress of psychology Transforming Psychological Science: the 2030 agenda, 1-4 July 2025, Paphos, Cyprus.. Bern : Hogrefe AG. 2025, vol. 84, suppl. 1, art. no. 984, p. 222-223.. eISSN 2673-8627 |
| Abstract [eng] |
As social media increasingly permeates daily life, individuals are more exposed to adverse interactions such as cyberbullying. To combat cyberbullying, the reactions of bystanders often play a crucial role—they can either halt the bullying, allow the aggressor to evade consequences, or even encourage their behavior. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence bystanders' behavior in cyberbullying situations is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the proximity between a bystander and an aggressor affects the reactions of cyberbullying witnesses. An online experiment was conducted with 221 participants aged 19 to 25 years, of whom 57.5% were women. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one was asked to imagine the aggressor as a close friend, another as an acquaintance, and the third as a stranger. Participants then read 10 offensive comments presented in a format similar to what might appear on a social media platform. Subsequently, they answered manipulation check questions, evaluated their reactions to the comments, and indicated what actions they would take in such a situation. The results indicate that bystanders were more likely to perceive the aggressor's actions as serious when the aggressor was a close friend. They also demonstrated a greater tendency to intervene, particularly by sending private messages to the aggressor. Participants in the "close friend" group more frequently reported experiencing fear reactions. No other significant differences in behavioral or emotional responses were observed. A limitation of this study: experimental scenario was imagined, which raises the possibility that the observed differences may not manifest in real-life situations. The findings suggest the potential for developing distinct strategies to encourage active responses from bystanders encountering aggressors of varying levels of proximity. This research has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No S-LL-21-1. |
| Published |
Bern : Hogrefe AG |
| Type |
Conference paper |
| Language |
English |
| Publication date |
2025 |
| CC license |
|
