Why Sitting by in Cyberbullying: The Measurement and Influencing Factors of Outsider Behavior

Abstract

Bystanders play an important role in cyberbullying, yet the majority of bystanders remain silent as outsiders. To date, research on the measurement and influencing factors of outsider behavior in the context of cyberbullying is lacking. This research first adapted a valid and reliable instrument to measure this construct and then examined its influencing factors based on the arousal: cost-reward model. In Study 1, a total of 901 participants (55% female, mean age = 20.84) were randomly divided into two subsamples: one for exploratory factor analysis (n = 450) and the other for confirmatory factor analysis (n = 451). The final eight-item measurement had good reliability and validity with a three-factor structure of self-disengagement, cautious avoidance, and victim blaming. Study 2 investigated the relationships among the severity of cyberbullying incidents, empathic concern, cost for help, and outsider behavior. Among 331 participants (57% female, mean age = 21.08), 168 participants were randomly assigned to the high-severity group. Results found that the severity has indirect effects on the three outsider behavioral orientations through the empathic concern. Severity also has indirect effects on outsider behaviors of cautious avoidance and victim blaming through the influence of empathic concern on cost for help.