Social context of bullying: Do misperceptions of group norms influence children's responses to witnessed episodes?

This study explores the association between norm misperception and behavioral responses to witnessed bullying episodes. We hypothesized that pluralistic ignorance (PI) could explain individual differences in behavioral responses. According to PI theory, children who believe that victims deserve protection may inhibit defending behavior if they assume their attitudes are out of step with their peers. A total of 446 fourth and eighth graders described their personal attitudes and perceptions of peers’ attitudes about bullying, as well as their behavioral responses when they witnessed a bullying episode. Consistent with PI theory, children perceived their personal attitudes as more prosocial than those of their classmates. Further, misperception of group norms was associated with children's reports of behavioral responses to bullying; children who overestimated peers’ approval of bullying reported lower levels of defending the victim and higher levels of joining in.