Abstract:

Bystanders in cyberbullying refers to “the individuals who witness bullying events online”. The behaviors of bystanders after witnessing bullying can be divided into two types - prosocial behaviors and antisocial behaviors. There are factors that influence bystander’s behaviors which include their personality traits (impulsiveness, extroversion and openness), psychological factors (empathy, self-efficacy, social support and loneliness), the degree of self-disclosure of bullied individuals, and their relationship in the ecological environment, etc. Bystander intervention model, moral disengagement and bystander effect can explain bystander reactions after they witness the cases of cyberbullying. Future studies may make further explorations from the perspectives of cognition, brain mechanism, cross-cultural practices and the constructions of network environment.

Key words: cyberbullying, bystander, social cognition, Bystander Intervention Model