Observational studies in classrooms and playgrounds reveal that episodes of bullying generally occur in the presence of peers, yet these observers rarely intervene on behalf of victims. This low rate of peer "defending" is particularly discouraging in light of the fact that such actions tend to be highly effective when performed. The current investigation examines one factor thought to contribute to bystander passivity in the face of school bullying -- misperception of group norms. More specifically, when a child witnesses another child being bullied, he or she may well privately disapprove of the bully's behavior or feel empathy toward the victim. But as the child scans the reactions of peers for cues about how to act, the child may misperceive their peers' inactivity as evidence of tolerance for bullying behavior; of course, their peers are doing this same thing. Taken together, this social psychological process is known as pluralistic ignorance. Over time, this mistaken view of overall tolerance for peer harassment could further reinforce children's tendency to remain passive rather than acting to protect a victim.
This study examines whether or not children do misinterpret their peers' private beliefs about bullies and victims. Four inter-related questions are addressed. First, does pluralistic ignorance occur in the context of school bullying? Second, are there developmental differences in pluralistic ignorance with respect to the late elementary and late middle school periods? Third, can experimentally manipulating children's knowledge of peer-based norms about bullies/victims increase their willingness to intervene on behalf of victims during future bullying incidents? And finally, to what extent are changes in children's bystander behavior associated with concomitant changes in children's perceptions of group norms about bullies and victims? Overall, this research will contribute to our basic understanding of how children balance their own private attitudes with their perceptions of peer attitudes when they make behavioral choices in the face of peer mistreatment. From an applied perspective, this research could have important implications for the development of classroom-based interventions designed to correct misperceptions of group norms and encourage children to become more active defenders against school bullying.
