• Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2023
• Time: 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. EST
• Location: Baldy 479 and virtually via Zoom

Cyberbullying is a form of aggression in social networks, which has a negative impact on the mental health of those involved. Of all the actors that participate (victims, aggressors and third parties), the bystanders are present in most situations of aggression and constitute the majority population of participants, in addition, their response is decisive in the beginning, maintenance, transformation or termination of the cyberbullying dynamics. This response determines the role of the bystander, which can be: 1) reinforcing the aggressor, 2) passive bystander, and 3) defender of the victim, who has greater potential to end the harassment dynamic.

Taking into account that cyberbullying is a problem of social interaction, an ecological approach to the problem is proposed, that includes factors of neighborhood, school, family and individuals. Understanding these factors could lead to coordinated strategies for cyberbullying prevention at each level.

Attendees will…

• Recognize the importance of the bystander roles in the beginning, maintenance, transformation and termination of the cyberbullying dynamics
• Explore the ecological approach as a framework with a heuristic value to understand the determinants of the bystanders roles
• Identify some strategies for cyberbullying prevention from the cyber-bystanders roles