Why Do Some Bullying Victims Perpetrate or Defend? The Potential Moderating Effects of Cognitive and Affective Empathy

Objective: Some children and adolescents who have experienced bullying victimization may also be perpetrators, while others may defend their peers, although moderators of these relationships have rarely been examined. The present study examined the potential moderating effects of affective and cognitive empathy in the relationship between bullying victimization and perpetration and defending. Method: A sample of 788 students from two high schools in a suburban school district in the Northeastern United States (M = 15.5 years old, 80.2% White) participated in this cross-sectional study and completed measures assessing the bullying participant behaviors of bully, victim, and defender and a measure of empathy (cognitive and affective components). The Bullying Participant Behaviors Questionnaire was used to assess participant roles in bullying behavior. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used as a measure of empathy. Results: Path analysis indicated that bullying victimization was associated with higher levels of both verbal bullying perpetration and defending, but affective empathy moderated these relationships. As affective empathy increased, the relationship between victimization and perpetration became less pronounced, and the relationship between victimization and defending became more pronounced. Conclusions: These findings contribute to our current understanding of bully-victims and victim–defenders. The present study expands upon the literature and indicates that empathy training could be a useful way to increase bystander intervention.