Peers are critical to defending and bystanding during episodes of bullying. This study investigates the extent to which friends can shape defending and bystanding as well as social cognitions associated with these two behaviors (i.e., perceptions of self-efficacy and moral distress). The study sample consisted of n = 1354 early and middle adolescents (7th‒10th grade; 81.4% Italian; 51.3% boys) in northern Italy. Employing a longitudinal social network analytic approach, using stochastic actor-oriented modeling, this study found that adolescents become more similar or stay similar to their friends in both behaviors and perceptions, with no clear indication that students select friends based on similar levels of behaviors or perceptions. The findings illustrate how defending and bystanding behaviors and related social cognitions are developed within friend (peer) networks.

在欺凌事件中，同伴对于捍卫和旁观至关重要。本研究调查了朋友可以在多大程度上塑造防御和旁观以及与这两种行为相关的社会认知（即自我效能感和道德痛苦的感知）。研究样本包括n = 意大利北部的 1354 名早期和中期青少年（7-10 年级；81.4% 意大利人；51.3% 男孩）。本研究采用纵向社交网络分析方法，使用面向行为者的随机模型，发现青少年在行为和认知上与朋友变得更加相似或保持相似，但没有明确迹象表明学生会根据相似的行为水平选择朋友或看法。研究结果说明了如何在朋友（同伴）网络中发展防御和旁观行为和相关的社会认知。