Perceptions and attributions of bystanders to cyber bullying

• Passive responses → stronger perceptions of control than active/reactive responses.
• Passive responses → stronger attributions of responsibility and blame.
• Stronger perceptions and attributions for male bystanders than female bystanders.
• Considerable variability in the causal explanations given by bystanders.

Bystanders play a critical role in the maintenance or reduction of bullying behavior. The potentially unlimited audience in the online world suggests that the role of bystanders may be particularly important in cyber bullying. However, little is known about the perceptions of bystanders or the situational factors that can increase or decrease their support for victims. In this study, bystanders’ perceptions of control, attributions of responsibility and blame for a hypothetical same-gender victim of cyber bullying were examined within a blog. Participants included 1105 middle school students who were assigned to one of three experimental conditions that manipulated the victim’s response (passive, active, reactive). In all conditions, a negative outcome resulted (cyber bullying continued). A 3 × 2 MANCOVA tested effects of Response Type × Gender on bystanders’ perceptions and attributions. Results indicate that passive responses elicited stronger perceptions of control, attributions of responsibility and blame than active or reactive responses, particularly for male bystanders. Bystanders may be less likely to offer assistance to victims of cyber bullying who respond passively to their experience. The findings have implications for understanding the factors that can increase or decrease bystander support in real-life cyber bullying situations.