Fantastic bystanders and where to find them: Do emotions fuel (in)direct interventions when bystanders face anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility on social media?
- Author(s)
- Melanie Saumer, Kevin Koban, Jörg Matthes
- Abstract
Bystander interventions are increasingly recognized as a critical mechanism for countering anti-minority hostility in online spaces. This study investigates bystander reactions to anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility online, examining the interplay between emotional and cognitive processes in shaping intervention behaviors. A two-wave panel survey (W1: N = 1,491, W2: N = 1,032) was conducted to assess bystander responses to anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility. The study measured participants’ hostility exposure, emotional reactions (anger and sadness), and their direct and indirect intervention intentions. Findings show that 54.7% of participants witnessed anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility in the past month, indicating widespread exposure. While anger and sadness were common reactions, they did not consistently lead to intervention. Anger negatively affected indirect intervention, highlighting a complex link between emotions and action. Yet, hostility exposure strongly predicted intervention intentions, emphasizing the situational context’s role. Bystander interventions appear normatively driven, rather than purely emotional. Implications are discussed.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Communication
- Journal
- Mass Communication and Society
- ISSN
- 1520-5436
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2026.2687034
- Publication date
- 02-2026
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 508007 Communication science
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/a6db093c-1276-4fc0-9c9b-235a18248bb6