Peer-led intervention campaign against school bullying: who considered it useful, who benefited? (Updated)

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Targeting the bystanders?

This study attempted to influence 'bystanders' - those students who were not directly involved in the bullying but were present in the vicinity. The author suggested that bystanders who were present but ignored the bullying were, in effect, helping to maintain and reinforce the bullying. The study labelled students who tried to help the victims ‘defenders’. The intervention attempted to influence the behaviour of passive bystanders so that they no longer encouraged the bullies by their inaction. Previous work on bullying presented a model approach to involving peer-group bystanders, including:

raising awareness so that students were informed about the seriousness of bullying;
promoting self-reflection in order to make students more aware of how their attitudes and behaviour could constitute a participant role in the bullying process; and
encouraging students to adopt new behaviours and to take responsibility for their own actions.

The present study suggested that peer-led interventions could encourage adolescents to take responsibility for their own behaviour. The process was initiated by assigning formal helper or peer counsellor roles to students who were then trained to carry out anti-bullying activities aimed at increasing awareness and showing what students could do in bullying situations.

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Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction Why was the study carried out? What do we know about previous attempts to stop bullying? Targeting the bystanders? What were the main anti-bullying activities? What effects did the intervention have? What data were collected? Implications Where might I find more information? Send us your feedback Collated digests To view/remove/add notes and save your collated digests click here Get Word Reader Peer-led intervention campaign against school bullying: who considered it useful, who benefited? (Updated) This digest found in Gender Inclusion Send to a friend Word doc 80KB Printer friendly Collate for later Targeting the bystanders? This study attempted to influence 'bystanders' - those students who were not directly involved in the bullying but were present in the vicinity. The author suggested that bystanders who were present but ignored the bullying were, in effect, helping to maintain and reinforce the bullying. The study labelled students who tried to help the victims ‘defenders’. The intervention attempted to influence the behaviour of passive bystanders so that they no longer encouraged the bullies by their inaction. Previous work on bullying presented a model approach to involving peer-group bystanders, including: raising awareness so that students were informed about the seriousness of bullying; promoting self-reflection in order to make students more aware of how their attitudes and behaviour could constitute a participant role in the bullying process; and encouraging students to adopt new behaviours and to take responsibility for their own actions. The present study suggested that peer-led interventions could encourage adolescents to take responsibility for their own behaviour. The process was initiated by assigning formal helper or peer counsellor roles to students who were then trained to carry out anti-bullying activities aimed at increasing awareness and showing what students could do in bullying situations.