TACOMA, Wash. – New research on cyberbullying has just been published in a national communications journal by Nicholas Brody, assistant professor of communications studies, University of Puget Sound, and Anita Vangelisti, professor of communication studies, The University of Texas at Austin.
The research shows that people are less likely to intervene and stop the cyberbullying of someone they know if they believe many other bystanders are taking no action. It also found that, although most social media is not anonymous, users often have a perceived sense of “anonymity” that contributes to their willingness to “stand by.” This feeling of invisibility “allows for less adherence to societal standards” by people online, the study says.
The study was published in the National Communication Association’s Communication Monographs journal (press release below) and is available at Bystander Intervention in Cyberbullying.
National Communications Association Press Release:
WASHINGTON, DC— Cyberbullying is drawing increasing attention, with online activity soaring and a larger number of bullying cases resulting in tragedy. “Bystander Intervention in Cyberbullying,” a new study published in the National Communication Association’s Communication Monographs reveals specific online conditions under which witnesses to cyberbullying are likely (or unlikely) to intervene in defense of a victim.
The study sheds light on the behavior of “bystanders” who “witness” cyberbullying episodes. Authors Nicholas Brody of the University of Puget Sound and Anita L. Vangelisti of the University of Texas at Austin confirmed several face-to-face bullying tendencies. He highlighted the greater role of anonymity in digital communication, which can intervene in bullying episodes less likely.
The researchers used a two-pronged approach in this study of undergraduate students. Students in one group were asked to recall a Facebook cyberbullying incident in the last six months in which they knew the victim; they were also asked to narrate several elements of the episode, including their own reaction to it and their past personal experience of bullying. Students in a second group were placed into a hypothetical cyberbullying situation in which they witnessed embarrassing pictures being posted to a friend’s Facebook page without the friend’s consent. Participants were asked to report how they would intervene and, when presented with varying options, under what conditions and to what extent they would defend the victim.
Study results supported the “diffusion of responsibility effect.” The higher the number of “bystanders,” the less likely intervention would occur during a cyberbullying incident. Moreover, the perceived anonymity of “bystanders” also reduced the likelihood of intervention. However, the closeness that a particular “bystander” felt toward the victim was most consistently related to his or her decision to intervene. The perceived “invisibility” offered by digital communication is a significant concern. According to the authors, the feeling of invisibility among online witnesses “allows for less adherence to societal standards” and may result in antisocial behavior.
Because many college students report being bullied in an online environment, the need for greater awareness of this issue is crucial. The findings of this study might be used to educate schools, colleges, and even parents about the nature of interventions and how they can be cultivated to disrupt cyberbullying episodes. Such steps could impact reducing the practice, or at least the impact, of cyberbullying.
About the National Communication Association: The National Communication Association (NCA) advances Communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who enable and support their professional interests in research and teaching.
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