Understanding Factors related to Bystander Intervention in Bullying

Bullying is a complex situation that involves not only those who bully others and those are victimized, but also bystanders. In fact, research suggests that more than 70% of youth report that they have witnessed bullying behaviors in their schools (Bradshaw, Sawyer, & O’Brennan, 2007). Because so many youth report that they see bullying occur, it is important to understand factors that may make some youth more likely to intervene or defend their peers over others. The bystander intervention model of bullying is used to understand the steps that are needed in order to engage in defending behavior and is characterized by five specific steps including noticing the event, interpreting it as an emergency, accepting responsibility for intervening, knowing the steps or having the skills to intervene and finally, implementing the plan (Nickerson et al., 2014). Less is known about what factors may make some youth more likely to engage in this process over others. The current study investigated gender and grade level differences is the five stages of the bystander intervention model with a sample of 199 students in 5th through 8th grade. Results indicated that girls were more likely notice and interpret bullying behaviors than boys, suggesting that there are gender differences in the early stages of bystander intervention. Interestingly, 5th grade students were significantly more likely to report that they know what to do when they see bullying occur and to engage in defending behavior than all other grades. Implications for school-based interventions will be discussed.