Defending Behavior and Victimization: Between- and Within-Person Associations
This study explored how defending peers who are bullied might affect the defenders themselves. Researchers aimed to find out if defending could put these students at risk of being bullied in return.
The research involved over 5.100 Finnish adolescents in grades 4 to 9, and data was collected across several time points.
Key Findings on Defending and Victimization
There was a noticeable negative concurrent relationship between comforting defending (offering support to the bullied) and self-reported victimization. This means that students who were more likely to comfort their peers tended to report being bullied less.
In contrast, no significant links were found between assertive defending (actively confronting bullies) or reporting bullying to authority and victimization. This suggests that those who tend to defend bullied peers do not necessarily tend to be bullied themselves.
Behavior Changes Over Time
The study found that changes in who defended others did not lead to changes in victimization over time; in other words, there was defending did not pose risk for the defenders in terms of being bullied over time.
In addition, experiences of being bullied did not influence students’ defending behavior over time.
Different Types of Defending
The researchers looked at three types of defending: comforting, assertive, and reporting to adults. Only comforting was linked to defending, with defenders who comforted bullied peers tending to experience less bullying themselves, while assertive defending and reporting to adults was not related to levels of victimization.
Exploration of Gender and Age Differences
The study examined whether boys and girls responded differently or if age influenced the results. Overall, differences were minimal, though some variations by age were noted.
Implications for Anti-Bullying Programs
The findings suggest that encouraging students to stand up for those being bullied is generally safe and may not lead to increased bullying of the defenders. This supports the idea that anti-bullying programs can promote defending behavior without worrying about it backfiring.
In conclusion, the research provides reassurance that defending peers against bullying doesn’t seem to increase the risk of becoming a victim oneself. This is good news for anti-bullying initiatives, emphasizing the importance of creating supportive environments where students can help each other without fear of retaliation.
Authors: Malamut, S.T. Garandeau, C.F. & Salmivalli, C. (2025). Defending Behavior and Victimization: Between- and Within-Person Associations. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Sarah Malamut is University Research Fellow at the INVEST Research Flagship Centre.