Bystander reactions to cyberbullying and cyberaggression: individual, contextual, and social factors

Abstract

This article reviews recent literature focused on the factors associated with the reactions of youth bystanders to cyberaggression. The studies examined factors from three topical areas. The first area concerns the role of individual factors, with specific focus on the role of moral disengagement. The second area concerns the contextual factors and the applicability of the bystander intervention model, the bystander effect in the online environment, and the severity of the incident. The third area comprises social factors, with focus on the effect of class and school, and the interactions between individual and social levels. Taking into the reviewed literature, recommendations are formulated regarding the measurement of cyberbystander reactions, the need to capture contextual factors, and the examination of social factors.