What Makes a Bystander Stand By? Adolescents and Bullying

The current study sheds some light on the extent to which adolescents say they are experiencing bullying, what they think they would do when confronted with bullies, and what they have actually done in the past when witnessing bullying. Results from a survey of 1,742 adolescents indicates even young adolescents have already experienced verbal, social and physical bullying. When faced with an actual case of bullying, adolescents were more likely to assist if they were older and better informed about community resources. Adolescents do not believe their own abuse history makes them more or less willing to help others, but the findings show adolescents who have experienced abuse themselves are more likely to intervene, regardless of the type of bullying.