First off, what is a bystander? A bystander is a person who is present at an event or incident but does not take part. By people just standing there the bully is getting what she/he wants.. Attention. When people just stand there the bully is gaining an audience, bullies crave silent-acceptance that allows him/her to continue their hurtful behavior. In 85% of bullying cases bystanders were present. And most people will argue that 50% of cases where a bystander decides to intervene the bullying will stop.