The cyberbystander effect: The impact of adult advice on cyberbullying bystanders

The prevalence of the bystander effect in incidents of interpersonal violence and its propensity to cause passive inaction have been well researched. However, the bystander effect in cyberbullying incidents is less understood due to the complex nature of cyberbullying. This study analyzed data from the "Parent/Teen Digital Citizenship Survey" (n=799) collected by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The purpose of the study was twofold: first, to determine a baseline for teenager perceptions regarding the cyberbystander effect; and second, to determine whether parental or teacher advice regarding safe and responsible online and cell phone behavior, as well as internet parental controls would make it more likely for a teenager to overcome the cyberbystander effect and defend a victim of cyberbullying. Results indicate that teens believe their peers ignore cyberbullying 57% of the time these incidents occur. No significant effects related to victim defending and advice about online/cell-phone behavior or parental controls were observed. Further research is needed to identify evidence-based curricula for cyberbullying in addition to increased education of the cyberbystander effect and how to effectively intervene.