Fantastic bystanders and where to find them: Do emotions fuel (in)direct interventions when bystanders face anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility on social media?

Autor(en)

Melanie Saumer, Kevin Koban, Jörg Matthes

Abstrakt

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(en)

Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft

Journal

Mass Communication and Society

ISSN

1520-5436

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2026.2687034

Publikationsdatum

02-2026

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

508007 Kommunikationswissenschaft

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Communication

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/a6db093c-1276-4fc0-9c9b-235a18248bb6