School and Family Factors Predicting Adolescent Cognition Regarding Bystander Intervention in Response to Bullying and Victim Retaliation

• NCJ Number: 252363
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Dated: First Online; October 2018
• Author(s): Kelly Lynn Mulvey; Seçil Gonultas; Eric Goff; Greysi Irdam; Ryan Carlson; Christine DiStefano; Matthew J. Irvin
• Date Published: October 2018
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2016-R2-CX-0056
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Award: Youth Violence and Victimization: Predicting Responses to Peer Aggression

Annotation

Since little is known about school and family factors that predict bystander intervention in response to both aggression and victim retaliation, this research examined school and family factors related to standing up to aggression and intervening before possible retaliation occurs.

Abstract

The study found that family and school factors were important predictors of bystander intervention, with higher family management and more positive school climate associated with greater likelihood of intervention and higher feelings of social exclusion and teacher and peer discrimination associated with inactive responses to aggression and retaliation. The study concluded that a complex group of factors related to the likelihood of intervening when someone is being victimized or considering retaliation in response to victimization. These results provide guidance and new directions for possible school- and family-based interventions to encourage bystander intervention in instances of aggression. Participants in the study included 6th and 9th graders (N = 896, 52.8 percent female), who assessed how likely they would be to intervene if they observed aggression and when they heard the victim was planning to retaliate. (Publisher abstract modified)