Regardless of the supposed disconnection, the concepts of bullying and being a bystander are two interrelated ones, as bystanders can play a vital role in affecting the problem of bullying. However, in order to obtain a better understanding of the link existing between the two, it is vital to become familiar with the specific features of these two concepts. Bullying is the phenomenon deriving from the imbalance of power (Song & Oh, 2017). It mainly occurs due to group dynamics, and can take two forms: verbal and physical. Regardless of the form of bullying, it always comes down to the desire to demonstrate one’s superiority (those of a bully) over another individual (a victim). Any verbal or physical assault can be labeled as bullying. Still, what is special about bullying is that it should necessarily involve an audience. In other words, in the case audience is removed, bullying stops. More than that, to be labeled as bullying, an act of undesirable aggression – either verbal or physical – should necessarily be repeated, and the nature of aggression is always proactive. Nevertheless, the nature of relationships between a victim and a bully is not of vital significance. Putting it simply, the acts of bullying may occur either between people in a romantic relationship or among peers – those not tied by romantic bonds.
As for being a bystander, thus phenomenon generally comes down to either standing up to protect a victim or stand by to remain neutral. The critical role of bystanders is associated with the existence of different types of bystanders. To be specific, they are the following: assistant, reinforcer, outsider, and defender (Song & Oh, 2017). An assistant usually chooses to support the bully and join the bullying episode, thus aggravating the overall situation. The same is true for a reinforcer with the only difference – unlike assistants, reinforcers’ support is indirect. In other words, they may morally support bullying by encouraging it. Another category of bystanders, outsiders, is characterized by the decision to stand away from the conflict – either ignore its existence or take no action to cope with the issue. Finally, there is the bystander type referred to as a defender, and their choice is to take action to protect a victim and stop bullying.
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"Bullying and Being a Bystander".
Based on the specific features of the two concepts, being a bystander and bullying are two significantly interconnected phenomena. Specifically, the role of a bystander comes down to either aggravating the severity of the bullying challenge or the further aggravation of the problem (Song & Oh, 2017). The main feature of this connection is that it is always true regardless of the environment where the acts of bullying occur – school, couple or workplace. This belief is associated with the specific feature of bullying – the necessity of an audience to label repeating acts of verbal or physical aggression as bullying.
However, the connection between the two can be significantly impacted by several vital factors that affect the behavior of bystanders and the choice of their behavior. To be specific, these factors are the following: having an experience of being bullied or being a bully oneself; the level of supposed harm caused by the incident of bullying; the behavior of both victim and bully (specifically, the level of being anti-social); the level of empathy characterizing a bystander; the bystander’s perception of one’s self with the special focus on their ability to affect the outcomes of bullying; and the presence of other bystanders (Song & Oh, 2017). Summing all the specificities of bullying and being a bystander up, recognizing the connection between the two may be beneficial for improving the effectiveness of interventions aimed at coping with the issue of bullying in any environment as well as reducing the overall severity of the problem.
- Song, J., & Oh, I. (2017). Investigation of the bystander effect in school bullying: Comparison of experiential, psychological, and situational factors. School Psychology International, 38(3), 1-18.
