Cyberbullying is pervasive on college campuses, but it is underdiscussed because the problem is denied by many students and usually invisible to school officials. This study examined how college students understand cyberbullying, their ethical reasoning about whether to help targeted peers, and their improvised helping strategies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 undergraduate students attending 7 colleges and universities in the northeastern United States. All of the participants had tried to help a targeted peer at least once in college, but were also asked to identify cases when they had not tried to help. Among the findings, the subtlety and ambiguity of cyberbullying in college made it difficult in many cases to appraise or name. Sharing racial identities and friendship ties were important factors for participants reasoning that they should help. They also expressed caution or skepticism about helping people they did not already know well or with whom they did not share social identities. When participants did help, they acted individually to support targeted peers rather than confronting peers or reporting incidents to administrators. They also acted in groups, organizing “circles of protection” for support and advocacy, as well as organizing retributive group punishments toward individuals associated with cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can both undermine and create opportunities for prosocial ethical learning among college students. Recommendations for campus organizing and dialogue are discussed.
Despite intense national and internationai media coverage, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the roie of the many bystanders in the bullying and suicide of Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi. This article examines the case as an exemplar for careful review of fhe discrepancy between academic literature and popular understanding of fhe role of bystanders in bullying processes, integrating research on bystander effect, bullying, and homophobia. The case reveals a process in which bystanders come to disavow fheir complicity by either denying the harm done or scapegoating fhe bully after the fact. Both processes may inhibit future educational efforts and bystander interventions. Implications for clinical social work practice in schools, university settings, and communities are discussed.
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