The Impact of Victim Response on Bystanders’ Willingness to Constructively Intervene in the Context of Cyberbullying: The Moderating Effect of State Empathy

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2025.02.013

Abstract

Abstract:

In the context of cyberbullying, online bystanders play a crucial role in the evolution of the incident. In this study, two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of cyberbullying victims’ response on bystanders’ willingness to constructively intervene and the moderating effect of state empathy. Experiment 1 examined the effects of counterattack, help-seeking and neglect on bystanders’ willingness to constructively intervene to help others by manipulating the different responses of cyberbullying victims. Experiment 2 examined the moderating effect of state empathy through the adapted classic situation priming paradigm. The results showed that: 1) Compared with the victim’s neglect behavior, their help-seeking and counterattack behaviors aroused the bystander’s stronger willingness to intervene constructively. 2) In the relationship between the victim’s response and the bystander’s willingness to constructively intervene, state empathy played a positive moderating role. The results not only reveal the influence mechanism of bystanders’ constructive intervention intention, but also provide enlightenment and reference for preventing and alleviating cyberbullying.

Key words: cyberbullying, victim responses, bystanders’ willingness to constructively intervene, state empathy, college students

摘要：

在网络欺凌事件中，网络旁观者对事件演变发挥着关键作用。研究通过2个实验，考察网络受害者反应对旁观者建设性干预意愿的影响及状态共情的调节作用。实验1通过操纵受害者的不同反应，考察其反击、求助和忽视行为对网络旁观者建设性干预意愿的影响；实验2通过改编后的经典情景启动范式，进一步考察状态共情在其中的作用。结果表明：(1)相比于受害者的忽视行为，其求助和反击行为均会唤起旁观者更强的建设性干预意愿。(2)在受害者反应与旁观者建设性干预意愿的关系中，状态共情起正向调节作用。研究结果不仅揭示了旁观者建设性干预意愿的影响机制，也为预防和干预网络欺凌提供了启示与参考。

关键词: 网络欺凌, 受害者反应, 旁观者建设性干预意愿, 状态共情, 大学生

Yongyao ZHAO, Ye ZHANG, Peipei XUE, Xiaonan ZHANG, Menghui WEI. The Impact of Victim Response on Bystanders’ Willingness to Constructively Intervene in the Context of Cyberbullying: The Moderating Effect of State Empathy[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2025, 23(2): 241-248.

赵永耀, 张野, 薛培培, 张小南, 魏梦慧. 网络欺凌情境中受害者反应对旁观者建设性干预意愿的影响：状态共情的调节作用[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2025, 23(2): 241-248.

Figures/Tables 2

References 0

	丁凤琴, 陆朝晖. 共情与亲社会行为关系的元分析. 心理科学进展, 2016, 24 (8): 1159- 1174.
	黄勖喆, 褚晓伟, 刘庆奇, 周宗奎, 范翠英. 网络欺负中的旁观者行为. 心理科学进展, 2019, 27 (7): 1248- 1257.
	林沐雨, 王凝, 钱铭怡, 赵晨颖, 徐凯文, 官锐圆. 女大学生中共情对自我中心和利他行为关系的调节作用. 心理科学, 2016, 39 (4): 977- 984.
	莫梅锋, 宋飞颐. 道德推脱与身份转化: 社交网络欺凌中的旁观者效应. 湖南大学学报(社会科学版), 2020, 34 (2): 156- 160.
	邵晓露. (2019). 受害者反应特征对受害者印象评价的影响 (硕士学位论文). 浙江大学, 杭州.
	王跃鹏, 孟维杰. 班级欺凌规范对初中生旁观者行为的影响: 道德推脱的中介作用. 心理与行为研究, 2022, 20 (4): 522- 528. DOI
	肖丹鹤, 李君, 葛操, 杨海波. 网络受欺凌个体的情绪注意偏向及注意偏向训练的干预研究. 心理与行为研究, 2022, 20 (6): 828- 834. DOI
	解晓龙, 郑宏, 鞠康, 肖博文, 刘俊升, Shapka, J D. 简式网络欺凌与网络受害量表中文版的信效度检验. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2022, 30 (5): 1155- 1159.
	张凤凤, 董毅, 汪凯, 詹志禹, 谢伦芳. 中文版人际反应指针量表(IRI-C)的信度及效度研究. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2010, 18 (2): 155- 157.
	Bagdasarov, Z., Connelly, S., & Johnson, J. F. Denial and empathy: Partners in employee trust repair. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019, 10, 19. DOI
	Bastiaensens, S., Vandebosch, H., Poels, K., van Cleemput, K., DeSmet, A., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. Cyberbullying on social network sites. An experimental study into bystanders’ behavioural intentions to help the victim or reinforce the bully. Computers in Human Behavior, 2014, 31, 259- 271. DOI
	Batson, C. D., Batson, J. G., Todd, R. M., Brummett, B. H., Shaw, L. L., & Aldeguer, C. M. R. Empathy and the collective good: Caring for one of the others in a social dilemma. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1995, 68 (4): 619- 631. DOI
	Batson, C. D., & Shaw, L. L. Evidence for altruism: Toward a pluralism of prosocial motives. Psychological Inquiry, 1991, 2 (2): 107- 122. DOI
	Bennett, V., Gill, C., Miller, P., Lewis, P., Ypag, N., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C., & Lavi, I. Developing a novel co-produced methodology to understand ‘real-world’ help-seeking in online peer-peer communities by young people experiencing emotional abuse and neglect. Health Expectations, 2022, 25 (6): 3124- 3142. DOI
	Chen, Q. Q. Reactions of adolescent cyber bystanders toward different victims of cyberbullying: The role of parental rearing behaviors. BMC Psychology, 2024, 12 (1): 377. DOI
	Davis, M. H. A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 1980, 10, 85.
	DeSmet, A., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Walrave, M., & Vandebosch, H. (2019). Associations between bystander reactions to cyberbullying and victims’ emotional experiences and mental health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 22(10), 648–656.
	Dillon, K. P., & Bushman, B. J. Unresponsive or un-noticed?: Cyberbystander intervention in an experimental cyberbullying context. Computers in Human Behavior, 2015, 45, 144- 150. DOI
	Dovidio, J. F. Helping behavior and altruism: An empirical and conceptual overview. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1984, 17, 361- 427.
	Eisenberg, N. Emotion, regulation, and moral development. Annual Review of Psychology, 2000, 51 (1): 665- 697. DOI
	Fischer, P., Krueger, J. I., Greitemeyer, T., Vogrincic, C., Kastenmüller, A., Frey, D., ... Kainbacher, M. The bystander-effect: A meta-analytic review on bystander intervention in dangerous and non-dangerous emergencies. Psychological Bulletin, 2011, 137 (4): 517- 537. DOI
	Fredrick, S. S., Jenkins, L. N., & Ray, K. Dimensions of empathy and bystander intervention in bullying in elementary school. Journal of School Psychology, 2020, 79, 31- 42. DOI
	Gao, J. X., Yin, H., & Han, Z. Q. The effects of victims’ reactions on bystanders’ perceived severity and willingness to intervene during school bullying: A survey experiment study. Social Psychology of Education, 2024, 27 (6): 3073- 3096. DOI
	Gray, K., Young, L., & Waytz, A. Mind perception is the essence of morality. Psychological Inquiry, 2012, 23 (2): 101- 124. DOI
	Holfeld, B. Perceptions and attributions of bystanders to cyber bullying. Computers in Human Behavior, 2014, 38, 1- 7. DOI
	Hu, X. M., Xu, Z. H., & Mai, X. Social value orientation modulates the processing of outcome evaluation involving others. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2017, 12 (11): 1730- 1739. DOI
	International Telecommunication Union. (2023). Individuals using the Internet. Retrieved September 26, 2024, from https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default. aspx
	Jia, Y. R., Wu, Y. T. N., Jin, T. L., & Zhang, L. How are bystanders involved in cyberbullying? A latent class analysis of the cyberbystander and their characteristics in different intervention stages. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022, 19 (23): 16083. DOI
	Latané, B., & Darley, J. M. (1970). The unresponsive bystander: Why doesn’t he help? (pp. 1–67). New York: Appleton-Century Crofts.
	Lens, K. M. E., van Doorn, J., Pemberton, A., & Bogaerts, S. (2014). You shouldn’t feel that way! Extending the emotional victim effect through the mediating role of expectancy violation. Psychology, Crime & Law, 20(4), 326–338.
	Leung, A. N. M. To help or not to help: Intervening in cyberbullying among Chinese cyber-bystanders. Frontiers in Psychology, 2021, 12, 483250. DOI
	Li, C., Wang, P., Martin-Moratinos, M., Bella-Fernández, M., & Blasco-Fontecilla, H. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying in the digital age and its associated mental health problems in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2024, 33 (9): 2895- 2909.
	Liang, L., Tian, G. Y., Zhang, X., & Tian, Y. Z. Help comes from understanding: The positive effect of communication visibility on employee helping behavior. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020, 17 (14): 5022. DOI
	Liang, X. (2024). The cause and influence of cyberbullying. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 26, 661–668.
	Lindstrom Johnson, S., Waasdorp, T. E., Debnam, K., & Bradshaw, C. P. The role of bystander perceptions and school climate in influencing victims’ responses to bullying: To retaliate or seek support?. Journal of Criminology, 2013, 2013, 780460.
	Luo, A. L. E., & Bussey, K. Mediating role of moral disengagement in the perpetration of cyberbullying by victims and bystanders. Journal of Adolescence, 2022, 94 (8): 1142- 1149. DOI
	Luo, Q., Wu, N., & Huang, L. Cybervictimization and cyberbullying among college students: The chain mediating effects of stress and rumination. Frontiers in Psychology, 2023, 14, 1067165. DOI
	Macaulay, P. J. R., Boulton, M. J., & Betts, L. R. Comparing early adolescents’ positive bystander responses to cyberbullying and traditional bullying: The impact of severity and gender. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 2019, 4 (3): 253- 261. DOI
	Martingano, A. J., & Konrath, S. How cognitive and emotional empathy relate to rational thinking: Empirical evidence and meta-analysis. The Journal of Social Psychology, 2022, 162 (1): 143- 160. DOI
	McLoughlin, L. T., Broadhouse, K. M., Clacy, A., Winks, N., Lagopoulos, J., & Hermens, D. F. The cyberbullying picture series (CyPicS): Developed for use in cyberbullying and cyberbystander research. Psychological Reports, 2021, 124 (3): 1370- 1383. DOI
	Merlici, I. A., & Maftei, A. The moral maze of cyberbullying: Navigating the roles of victims, bystanders, and perpetrators in the cycle of harm. Deviant Behavior, 2024, 46 (1): 24- 39. DOI
	Mishna, F., Cook, C., Gadalla, T., Daciuk, J., & Solomon, S. Cyber bullying behaviors among middle and high school students. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 2010, 80 (3): 362- 374. DOI
	Moxey, N., & Bussey, K. Styles of bystander intervention in cyberbullying incidents. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 2020, 2 (1): 6- 15. DOI
	Polanco-Levicán, K., & Salvo-Garrido, S. Bystander roles in cyberbullying: A mini-review of who, how many, and why. Frontiers in Psychology, 2021, 12, 676787. DOI
	Shapka, J. D., Onditi, H. Z., Collie, R. J., & Lapidot-Lefler, N. Cyberbullying and cybervictimization within a cross-cultural context: A study of Canadian and Tanzanian adolescents. Child Development, 2018, 89 (1): 89- 99. DOI
	Song, J., & Oh, I. Factors influencing bystanders’ behavioral reactions in cyberbullying situations. Computers in Human Behavior, 2018, 78, 273- 282. DOI
	Tokunaga, R. S. Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior, 2010, 26 (3): 277- 287. DOI
	Verplanken, B., & Holland, R. W. Motivated decision making: Effects of activation and self-centrality of values on choices and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002, 82 (3): 434- 447. DOI
	Vieira, J. B., Schellhaas, S., Enström, E., & Olsson, A. Help or flight? Increased threat imminence promotes defensive helping in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2020, 287 (1933): 20201473. DOI
	Wang, S. Standing up or standing by: Bystander intervention in cyberbullying on social media. New Media & Society, 2021, 23 (6): 1379- 1397.
	Xie, E. H., Liu, M. D., Liu, J. Q., Gao, X. X., & Li, X. C. Neural mechanisms of the mood effects on third-party responses to injustice after unfair experiences. Human Brain Mapping, 2022, 43 (12): 3646- 3661. DOI
	Yao, E., & Siegel, J. T. The influence of perceptions of intentionality and controllability on perceived responsibility: Applying attribution theory to people’s responses to social transgression in the COVID-19 pandemic. Motivation Science, 2021, 7 (2): 199- 206. DOI
	Zhao, Y. J., Chu, X. W., & Rong, K. X. Cyberbullying experience and bystander behavior in cyberbullying incidents: The serial mediating roles of perceived incident severity and empathy. Computers in Human Behavior, 2023, 138, 107484. DOI

[1]	Yongsheng WANG, Yang HAN, Xin LI, Liyuan HE. The Promotion of Inter-Word Space in Chinese Sentence Reading of Uyghur College Students with Different Text Presentation Directions [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2025, 23(1): 41-48.
[2]	Hongwei NIU, Jiajia HAO, Xuejun BAI. Development and Validation of Chinese College Students Failure Mindset Scale [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2024, 22(3): 379-386.
[3]	Zifu SHI, Huohong CHEN, Yihan ZHANG, Jinliang GUAN, Biqi XIA, Ziyang JIN. The Effect of Parental Helicopter Parenting on Subjective Well-Being of College Students: The Chain Mediating Effect of Self-Control and Depression [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2024, 22(1): 116-122.
[4]	Yanbin GONG, Haibo YANG. The Relationship Between Physical Exercise and Smartphone Addiction in College Students: The Chain Mediating Effect of Innovative Behavior and Mental Health [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(6): 770-775.
[5]	Renjie LIU, Lingxiang XIA, Yongping ZHAO. Developmental Characteristics of Latent Class of Cybervictimization Among College Students and the Role of Gender [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(6): 784-791.
[6]	Ye ZHANG, Zhihong LIU, Ping JU, Shuo YANG, Tao YU. The Relationship Between Perceived School Climate and Cyberbullying: The Mediating Roles of Deviant Peer Affiliation and the Moderating Roles of Parent-Child Cohesion [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(6): 792-798.
[7]	Youlong ZHAN, Xuefen JIANG, Changlin LIU, Xu LIU, Qianbao TAN. The Effect of College Students’ Self-Accountability on Prosocial Behavioral Intention in Moral Dilemmas: The Chain Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Anticipated Pride [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(6): 839-845.
[8]	Yang GAO, Shiguang NI, Zhiyuan XIA, Wulin TIAN. Impact of Group Bragging Styles on Observers’ Cyberbullying: The Role of Observers’ Provocation and Group Identification [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(4): 471-478.
[9]	Haidong LIU, Zhijun YU, Baojuan YE, Qiang YANG. Family Cohesion and Depression: The Role of Social Anxiety and Gratitude [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(4): 556-563.
[10]	Chengkui YAO, Siqi CHANG, Chuanzhang ZHENG, Wei CHEN, Gang CHENG, Jie LUO. Measurement Invariance of the College Students’ Psychological Suzhi Questionnaire Simplified Version [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(3): 312-319.
[11]	JI Xiaoning, KISHIMOTO Tomoko, WANG Wenying, TANG Yan, CHEN Zhiyan, DING Xinfang. Longitudinal Association Between Cyberbullying Victimization and Emotional Eating Among Vocational College Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Esteem [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(2): 224-230.
[12]	Zebo LAN, Ziming SONG, Kun JIANG, Guoli YAN. Tongue Twister Effect of Chinese Reading in Deaf College Students: The Influence of Oral Experience and Reading Ability [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(1): 20-27.
[13]	Zhijun LIU, Jiwei CHEN. The Impact of Parental Phubbing on Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization Among Adolescents: Chain Mediating Effects of Parent-Child Closeness and Internalizing Problems [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(1): 79-85.
[14]	Shen LIU, Xinwei HONG, Mingyu ZHAO, Minghua SONG. Self-Disgust and Peer Relationship Among College Students: Chain Mediation Effects of Depression and Social Support [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(1): 102-108.
[15]	Junmei CHEN, Yong LYU. The Effect of Self-Compassion on Procrastination Behavior of College Students: The Chain Mediating Effect of Experience Avoidance and Shame [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(1): 109-115.