Beyond the target: mitigating bystander secondary vulnerability to cyberbullying in online environments

Aimee Riedel; Katie McIntyre; Amanda Beatson; Byron Keating

doi:10.1080/0144929X.2026.2699280

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Beyond the target: mitigating bystander secondary vulnerability to cyberbullying in online environments

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Beyond the target: mitigating bystander secondary vulnerability to cyberbullying in online environments

Aimee Riedel, Katie McIntyre, Amanda Beatson and Byron Keating

Behaviour and Information Technology, Vol.Advanced access

13-Jul-2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2026.2699280

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Abstract

Cyberbullying

bystander

vulnerability

human–computer interaction (HCI)

design affordances

secondary vulnerability

Cyberbullying is a prevalent issue with severe consequences for targets. While growing scholarship has investigated the role bystanders can play in mitigating the negative effects of cyberbullying, researchers have given much less attention to the impact of cyberbullying on these altruistic individuals. This study represents one of the first comprehensive assessments of secondary vulnerability experienced by bystanders, which we conceptualise as the emotional, psychological, social, and physical harms experienced by those witnessing a negative event. Drawing on a systematic review of 50 peer-reviewed articles, this research outlines a framework inspired by vulnerability research, proposing that bystanders' experiences of harm can impact their ability to intervene, thus affecting their ability to reduce the negative impacts of cyberbullying. The findings highlight how individual and contextual (socio-technical) factors moderate these harms and shape bystander behaviour. Importantly, these findings not only expand our understanding of bystander dynamics in the context of cyberbullying but also emphasise critical design affordances to help platforms better support bystanders. By highlighting the interplay between psychological vulnerability and the design approaches from HCI, we extend the understanding of the impact of bystander interventions and underscore the importance of capturing and integrating user experience to address cyberbullying more effectively.

Details

Title: Beyond the target: mitigating bystander secondary vulnerability to cyberbullying in online environments
Authors: Aimee Riedel (Corresponding Author) - Griffith University
Katie McIntyre - University of the Sunshine Coast
Amanda Beatson - Queensland University of Technology
Byron Keating - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Behaviour and Information Technology, Vol.Advanced access
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2026.2699280
ISSN: 1362-3001
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Grant note: This work was supported by the Griffith University New Researcher Grant.
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991250408102621
Output Type: Journal article

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