Bystander Intervention in Bullying and Peer Victimization: Research, Theory, and Applications for Children and Adolescents

Bystander Intervention in Bullying and Peer Victimization offers a clear, research-based roadmap for understanding and promoting bystander action in bullying and peer victimization situations. Drawing on decades of scholarship, the authors examine bullying as a group process, the psychological steps behind intervention, and the risks and benefits of defending peers. Central to the book is the five-step Bystander Intervention Model, adapted from social psychology, which explains how individuals notice, interpret situations, assume responsibility, know what to do, and act. The text explores individual, peer, family, and school-level influences on bystander behavior and provides practical strategies for fostering safer, more inclusive environments. It also reviews evidence-based programs and training approaches for real-world application, addressing bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and microaggressions.