Lesson 3
Cyberbullying Part 3
Bystanders
About the Lesson
In online environments bystanders are significantly more likely to reinforce cyberbullying compared to offline settings (Hinduja and Patchin, 2013).
In addition, students in Ireland do not feel confident in their ability to intervene when bullying occurs online (Viejo Otero 2022).
In the face of cyberbullying, the onus on intervening lies mainly on the role of the bystander. We define bystanders as the person or persons that witness
a bullying event when it occurs or that notice bullying behaviour. Research identifies four classes of bystanders namely: Assistants, Reinforcers, Defenders and Outsiders (Gini, Pozzoli, et al., 2008).
This lesson delves into the differences between the four classes of bystanders and aims to educate students to be a defender.
