Moral (Dis)engagement among Higher Education Student-Bystanders in Cyberbullying
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55707/ds-po.v38i2.105Keywords:
moral (dis)engagement, cyberbullying, bystanders, intervention model, higher education studentsAbstract
In our study, we aimed to determine how different demographic variables (gender, age, free time spent online) and mechanisms of moral (dis)engagement (justification, disregarding or misrepresenting injurious consequences, diffusion of responsibility, dehumanization) predict perceptions of cyberbullying among student bystanders, according to the Bystander Intervention Model. The model proposes that a bystander must take five steps in order to intervene: notice the event, interpret the event as an emergency requiring help, accept responsibility for intervening, know how to intervene or provide help, and implement decisions to intervene (Latané and Darley, 1970). Our sample included 205 student-bystanders in cyberbullying. The most variance (27 %) was explained in the second step – to interpret the event as an emergency and help. Older students and students with less pronounced dehumanization were more likely to perceive cyberbullying as serious and to help. Our findings suggest a need for greater interest and intervention in the group of cyber-bystanders among this age group of students as well.
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