Bystander Intervention to Abusive Behavior on Social Networking Websites

Abstract

The current study assessed which bystander intervention behaviors individuals reported they would engage in when exposed to abuse in their online network and the correlates of these behaviors. Data were drawn from college students’ responses (N = 600) to three vignettes, ranging in severity, where the respondent’s male friend commented about his ex-girlfriend on a social network. Although it was hypothesized respondents would intervene on the website when exposed to abuse, results suggested this was not the case. Respondents were more likely to offer support to the victim, report the behavior, and recommend programming for the most severe scenario. Implications are discussed.

Keywords

bystander intervention social media cyberstalking intimate partner violence

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