Social-Emotional Skill-based Differences Between Active and Passive Bystanders of Bullying

The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in social-emotional skills between active and passive bystanders. Data were collected on a sample of 352 middle school students using self-report of bullying role involvement and social skills and teacher reports of social/emotional competence and executive functioning skills. Using latent profile analysis, four patterns of bystander bully role combinations were identified. Then, the social/emotional competence, executive functioning, and social skills of active bystanders (i.e., defenders) and passive bystanders (i.e., outsiders) were compared. Overall, active bystanders had stronger social-emotional skills than passive bystanders. These results emphasize the association of students’ executive functioning and social skills on their bullying role participation and support creating and implementing interventions designed to improve students executive functioning and social skills to increase rates of defending.