Adolescents’ perceptions of safety in cyberbullying: the role of bystander support and relationship dynamics

The present study examines the perceptions of 90 adolescents aged 13-17 (Mage = 14.42, SD = 1.33, 55 female) on positive and negative forms of bystander support. Participants were shown nine videos depicting a cyberbullying occurrence and a form of positive (polite stop, empathy, positive thinking) or negative (bite back, call out, blame) bystander support from an acquaintance, friend, or a celebrity related to the victim. After each video, adolescents were asked how safe the bystander’s form of support made them feel on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = not safe at all, 5 = very safe). Key findings revealed positive support was generally seen as safer, while negative support was viewed as somewhat unsafe regardless of the bystander’s identity. Across conditions and type of support, celebrities were seen as providing the safest bystander response. Findings suggest that educational programs should focus on encouraging positive bystander behaviours and highlight the influence of celebrities in shaping perceptions of support.