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The Role of Immigration Background, Intergroup Processes, and Social‐Cognitive Skills in Bystanders’ Responses to Bias‐Based Bullying Toward Immigrants During Adolescence
Author(s) -
Gönültaş Seçil,
Mulvey Kelly Lynn
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.13476
Subject(s) - psychology , immigration , bystander effect , psychological intervention , developmental psychology , cognition , social cognitive theory , poison control , social cognition , peer victimization , peer group , cognitive bias , suicide prevention , injury prevention , in group favoritism , social psychology , social group , social identity theory , medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , archaeology , history
This study examined how intergroup processes and social‐cognitive factors shape bystander responses to bias‐based and general bullying. Participants included sixth and ninth graders ( N = 179, M = 13.23) who evaluated how likely they would be to intervene if they observed bullying of immigrant‐origin and nonimmigrant‐origin peers. Adolescents’ grade, intergroup attitudes, and social‐cognitive abilities were evaluated as predictors of bystander responses. Nonimmigrant‐origin adolescents reported that they expect they would be less likely to intervene when the victim is an immigrant‐origin peer. Furthermore, participants with more intergroup contact and higher theory of mind were more likely to expect they would intervene in response to bias‐based bullying. Findings have important implications for understanding factors that inform antibullying interventions that aim to tackle bias‐based bullying against immigrants.