Social bonds,sense of powerlessness and intervention actions in cyberbullying among Chinese college students

Abstract

Cyberbullying has surfaced as a worldwide concern in recent decades. As the largest online community globally, China has experienced a spike in cyberbullying across social groups and functions. Using survey data collected from roughly 1,600 students from two universities, this study assesses students’ intervention behaviours toward cyberbullying. We assess the connections between students’ social bonds and the perceived severity of cyberbullying and their intention to stop, do nothing, or even support when witnessing cyberbullying. We found that individuals with stronger social bonds are more willing to ask perpetrators to stop bullying. The positive link between social control and intervention is stronger among those who reported a higher sense of powerlessness. In addition, respondents who have stronger social bonds and who consider cyberbullying as more serious have lower tendencies to keep neutral. The negative connection between social bonds and doing nothing is stronger among students with higher senses of powerlessness. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.