Research into school bullying has traditionally focussed on the actual protagonists – the
perpetrators and the targets. Consequently, we know a great deal about the psychological
characteristics of bullies and victims and the consequences of bullying in undermining
the emotional well-being of both targets and perpetrators. While an understanding of the
personal aspects of the bully-victim relationship is important, it only addresses part of
the issue. Bullying is experienced within a group of peers who adopt different participant
roles and who experience a range of emotions. In this article, I argue that bullies do not
act alone but rely on reinforcement from their immediate group of friends as well as the
tacit approval of the onlookers. This article explores the conflicting emotions often
experienced by the bystanders. It also makes some suggestions about interventions to
empower bystanders to take action against bullying through, for example, such
interventions as peer support.peer-reviewe
