Bystanders today: Face-to-face and online bystander actions in traditional bullying and cyberbullying

This study investigated whether bystanders to traditional bullying and cyberbullying used face-to-face methods, online methods or both methods when reporting, discouraging and providing support to the victims of traditional bullying and cyberbullying. A questionnaire was completed by 348 high school students (Years 7 – 12) from seven independent schools in Australia. It was found that students utilised face-to-face methods when reporting and supporting the victim for both types of bullying, and when discouraging traditional bullying, while they used online methods when discouraging cyberbullying. Girls were more likely to report both forms of bullying by face-to-face methods, while older students were more likely to use online methods to ask the traditional bully to stop. Males and older students mostly used online methods to support victims of traditional bullying, while females were more likely to use face-to-face methods to support victims of cyberbullying. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.