Participation in Bullying : Bystanders' Characteristics and Role Behaviors

방관자의 집단 특성에 따른 또래괴롭힘 참여 역할행동

  • Seo, Mijung (Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota)
  • 서미정 (미네소타대학교 교육심리학과)
  • Received : 2008.06.22
  • Accepted : 2008.09.05
  • Published : 2008.10.31

Abstract

This study analyzed differences of role behaviors of participants in bullying according to bystanders' characteristics. Participants were 112 $5^{th}$, $6^{th}$ and $7^{th}$ grade students. Bystanders' characteristics of empathy, negative attitudes about bullying, psychological burden, distorting of consequences, and attribution of blame were classified by K-Means Cluster Analysis into three groups with similar characteristics : lack of empathy/cognitive distorting, anti-bullying, and perception of cost groups. Major findings were that : the lack of empathy/cognitive distorting group had higher levels of bullying behavior than the anti-bullying group and higher levels of victimization than the perception of cost group. The anti-bullying group showed higher levels of defense behavior than the lack of empathy/cognitive distorting group. Implications for future research were discussed.

Keywords