Open AccessDefending or Remaining Passive as a Bystander of School Bullying in Sweden: The Role of Moral Disengagement and Antibullying Class Norms
Author(s) -
Robert Thornberg,
Tiziana Pozzoli,
Gianluca Gini
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of interpersonal violence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1552-6518
pISSN - 0886-2605
DOI - 10.1177/08862605211037427
Subject(s) - moral disengagement , psychology , poison control , social psychology , perception , suicide prevention , disengagement theory , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , developmental psychology , social norms approach , occupational safety and health , medicine , medical emergency , gerontology , neuroscience , pathology
The overall aim of the present study was to examine whether moral disengagement and perceptions of antibullying class norms at individual level and at class level were associated with defending and passive bystanding in school bullying among school-age children. More specifically, we investigated the extent to which moral disengagement would contribute to explain defending and passive bystanding, after controlling for sex and perceptions of antibullying class norms at individual level and at class level. A total of 789 Swedish students (aged 10-14) from 40 middle school classes filled out a self-report survey. The findings revealed that girls and students who were less prone to morally disengage, and who perceived that their classmates endorsed more antibullying norms, were more likely to defend victimized peers. Students who were more inclined to morally disengage and perceive that classmates do not condemn bullying were more likely to act as passive bystanders. In addition, classes with higher levels of antibullying class norms were more likely to show higher rates of defending and lower rates of passive bystanding compared to the other classes. The findings suggest that schools and teachers need to develop educational strategies, methods, and efforts designed to make students aware of moral disengagement and to reduce their likelihood of morally disengaging in bullying situations. The present findings also point to the importance of teachers establishing class rules against bullying together with the students.