The ‘Good Bystander’: Qualitative Exploration of Cyber Bystander Behaviours, Motivations, and Associated Victim Perceptions
摘要
Cyberbullying is prevalent in the lives of adolescents as internet access reaches ubiquity. Bystanders can alleviate the negative impacts on victims of cyberbullying by acting constructively to provide support and advocate for cyberbullying victims. This qualitative study attends to the actions of bystanders using data from an online, open-response survey of undergraduate university students in Australia. Specifically, bystanders’ and victims’ feelings and thoughts towards bystander actions are investigated. Participants indicated the extensive nature of cyberbullying, spanning various platforms and often precipitating or perpetuating offline bullying. Through participants’ lived experiences of cyberbullying, the impacts of bystander presence and the constructive intentions of bystanders are noted. Notably, bystanders understood the importance of constructive behaviours towards the victim; however, such behaviours did not always account for bystander actions desired by victims. On occasions when bystanders’ actions misaligned with the bystander actions desired by victims, there was inconsistency in the positive outcomes as experienced by victims, despite the seemingly constructive nature of bystanders’ behaviours. These findings indicate the need to recognise and account for bystander actions desired by victims to fully realise bystanders’ intentions to positively assist cyberbullying victims. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.