Bystander responses to bias-based bullying in schools: a developmental intergroup approach

Research on bystander responses to bullying shows the valuable contribution that prosocial or defending bystander behaviours can have in reducing bullying in schools. We propose that a developmental intergroup approach (i.e., children’s developing understanding of social identities and related intergroup processes) is required to fully understand when and why children and adolescents do or do not help bullied peers in diverse contexts. We first review well-established theory and evidence from intergroup social exclusion literature to demonstrate the strength of a developmental intergroup approach when understanding responses to complex social scenarios across childhood and into adolescence. We then review recent evidence that demonstrates the importance of examining group membership, group identity and group norms to understand children and adolescents’ bystander responses in bias-based bullying contexts. Finally, we consider implications for school-based interventions and next steps for research on bystander responses in childhood and adolescence.