Extracurricular Involvement as a Predictor of Bystander Intervention to Prevent Interpersonal Violence

Abstract

Nonconsensual sexual activity remains a prominent and troubling aspect of undergraduate student life at U.S. colleges and universities. Past research revealed that 23.6% of female undergraduate students, and 5.8% of male undergrads, had experienced nonconsensual sexual contact. Given the scope of the problem, identifying groups of students inclined to intervene to prevent violence is crucial. This research examines whether students who participate in extracurricular activities on campus are more likely to have heard of antiviolence prevention efforts, and to be willing to intervene in two types of scenarios” those that involve emergent situations and those that involve attempting to change cultural norms that support violence. Greek-affiliated students and student athletes are included as special cases of extracurricular involvement. Data are drawn from a random cluster sample of students at a college in the Northeastern United States. Results demonstrated that students involved in extracurricular activities were more likely to have heard about campus antiviolence campaigns but were not necessarily more likely to intervene to prevent violence. However, students involved in multiple extracurricular activities were significantly more likely than their noninvolved peers to intend to intervene. Greek-affiliated males and male athletes were no less likely to intervene than were other involved males and were more likely to say that they would intervene in emergent situations. Regression analyses revealed that students with more marginalized identities (students of color and those coming from low-income backgrounds) were more likely to intervene in ways that disrupt prevailing cultural norms around violence, as were males who were in extracurricular activities (excluding Greek-affiliated males and male athletes). Educators can use this information to tailor their antiviolence programming to groups of students who are involved on campus.