Adolescents’ Well-Being, Self-Esteem, and Academic Motivation as Bystanders: A Grounded Theory of Authenticity in Witnessing Bullying

Bullying is increasingly understood as a group-based phenomenon in which bystanders play a critical role, yet little is known about how witnessing bullying affects bystanders’ self-esteem and academic motivation. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents’ perspectives on how witnessing bullying in school may be linked to their self-esteem and academic motivation. This qualitative study explored these experiences among 35 Swedish adolescents (22 girls and 13 boys, aged 14–16) using focus group interviews analyzed through constructivist grounded theory. The analysis generated a core category, Authenticity in witnessing bullying, reflecting how adolescents balanced empathic responses, self-image, and academic motivation when confronted with bullying. In addition, six interrelated categories emerged: (1) sympathetic wounding, (2) relationship buffering, (3) fear-driven avoidance, (4) academic shielding, (5) academic draining, and (6) normalization of bullying. Witnessing bullying affected participants’ feelings of authenticity, self-esteem, coping strategies, and academic focus. Academic motivation was shaped divergently: some students withdrew and lost motivation, while others increased focus on grades to secure transfer to a safer school environment. The theory offers a framework that is grounded in participants’ accounts that helps the understanding of how authenticity shapes the social context, emotional experience, and academic engagement. Interventions that address the emotional and motivational consequences of witnessing bullying and foster supportive school climates, empowering students to act constructively, are needed.