NCJ Number
207280
Journal
Prevention Researcher Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2004 Pages: 7-8
Date Published
September 2004
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Since the mobilization of constructive bystander responses to bullying events is an important emerging approach for preventing bullying, this article examines the role of bystanders in bullying incidents and how they can be encouraged to respond effectively.
Abstract
Children who witness bullying draw lessons for their own lives about power, authority, empathy, injustice, social responsibility, courage, and cowardice. Passivity learned when observing peer aggression in childhood may forge the pattern for adult responses to interactions related to status, power, control, authority, and domination. Research has found that witnessing bullying may be exciting and entertaining to some students, particularly boys. This is not surprising given the attraction of boys to games and entertainment that involve dominance contests and the display of power. This feature of the bystanding experience may even lead to the verbal encouragement of the bully to display his/her power over the victim. This article recommends a strategy for developing constructive bystander responses to bullying that is based on the social norms prevention approach. Social norms theory holds that behavior is influenced by misperceptions of the beliefs and behaviors of the social community. By correcting these misperceptions, prosocial and healthy behaviors can be increased. A social norms campaign to decrease bullying would infuse the school community with the message that bullying is not a normative event in the school environment, while promoting the value of helping and protecting fellow students from harm and unhappiness.