The impact of interpersonal relationship utility and intimacy on compassion fatigue among bystanders in school bullying scenarios

This study investigates how interpersonal relationship utility and intimacy influence compassion fatigue among bystanders in school bullying scenarios through two randomized experiments. In Experiment 1 (N = 102), students were assigned to high or low utility conditions, and in Experiment 2 (N = 127), to high or low intimacy conditions. After reading standardized bullying vignettes, participants completed the Compassion Fatigue Scale. Independent-samples t-tests and ANCOVAs revealed that students in the high utility group (Experiment 1) and the high intimacy group (Experiment 2) reported significantly lower compassion fatigue than their low-condition counterparts. By employing experimental manipulation rather than correlational methods, this research uniquely establishes a causal link between peer relationship quality and bystander compassion fatigue in bullying contexts. Practically, these findings suggest that schools can reduce bystander fatigue and encourage more active intervention by implementing structured peer mentoring, collaborative group projects, and relationship-building workshops to enhance the perceived utility and intimacy of student relationships.