Citation

Mazzone A. Int. J. Bullying Prev. 2020; 2(1): 1-5.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s42380-020-00061-8

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Researchers worldwide have investigated the phenomenon of bullying, which has been defined as aggressive, goal-oriented behaviour which harms another individual within the context of a power imbalance (Volk et al. 2014). With the rising of new technologies, bullying has been observed also in the online context. Cyberbullying is defined as "willful and repeated harm inflicted through computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices" (Hinduja and Patchin 2015; page 11). Bullying and cyberbullying are a cause of concern not only at school but also in other institutional contexts (e.g., College; workplace) (Bartlett and Bartlett 2011; Varghese and Pistole 2017). The forms and dynamics that these negative behaviours take in various settings are relatively similar (Monks et al. 2009).

Bullying has been described as a social phenomenon involving several onlookers or bystanders beyond the perpetrator and the target. Research investigating bullying at school has outlined that bystanders might show a constructive behaviour, such as helping the target and preventing any escalation of the situation, or they might reinforce bullying through their behaviour (Salmivalli et al. 1996). More specifically, some bystanders, referred to as assistants, take side with the perpetrator, by helping actively, while some others support the perpetrator indirectly, through laughing or smiling when bullying happens. These bystanders are referred to as reinforcers, because they are thought to reinforce bullying with their behaviours. Defenders help the target of bullying, either by supporting the target or by confronting the perpetrator. Finally, some bystanders, referred to as passive bystanders, avoid any involvement, and shy away when bullying happens...

Language: en