Bystander Intervention Training Research Articles

Shifting perspectives: High school students' evaluations of a social norms campaign to reduce bullying and sexual harassment and promote helping behavior

AbstractBullying and sexual harassment are commonly experienced by secondary students, yet these behaviors are seldom targeted for intervention in high schools. Norms and Bystander Intervention Training (NAB IT!) is a program designed to address bullying and sexual harassment through promoting prosocial norms and helping behaviors among high school students. This mixed methods study examined students' receptivity to and perceptions of the NAB IT! social norms campaign. The campaign was delivered over 7 weeks in a suburban high school (grades 9–12) in the northeastern United States. Twenty‐eight students (60.7% females; 25.0% males; 7.2% genderqueer/gender non‐conforming/transgender) participated in focus group discussions and provided quantitative ratings of the campaign. Participants were White (82.1%), Asian (7.1%), Multiracial (7.1%), and African American (3.6%). Students appreciated the prosocial messaging and believed that the campaign raised awareness of bullying and sexual harassment. Students reported that the campaign elicited greater self‐reflection and discussion about potentially harmful behaviors. Nonetheless, some students doubted the credibility of the messages and noted incongruence between the messages and what they have observed in the school. Students indicated the need for more skills training for themselves and for faculty.

Tackling discrimination in medicine head on: The impact of bystander intervention training

Purpose A mixed-methods study to evaluate Bystander Intervention Training (BiT), a simulation-based small-group training programme designed to teach skills to tackle discrimination. Materials and methods Norwich Medical School delivered the intervention online between January 2020 and June 2023 to medical students, physician associate trainees, and qualified doctors. A sample of 569 participants was used in the main analysis. Participants completed pre- and post-training and follow-up evaluations. Results Paired post-training scores were significantly different (all p < 0.001) from the pre-training scores for all 12 questions, in favour of the post-training scores. Of the 159 participants who completed follow-up questionnaires, 27 (17.9%) reported having the opportunity to be an active bystander; of those, 23 (85%) intervened. Scores in the follow-up questionnaire were significantly higher than those in the pre-training survey and significantly lower than those in the post-training questionnaire (p < 0.001). Participants had an increased sense of responsibility to be an active bystander and were empowered to challenge discrimination. Participants from marginalised groups expressed positive views about the training. Conclusions Interventions that allow open discussion and carefully supported personal disclosure in safe spaces, where difficult and uncomfortable discussions can occur, with an opportunity to change behaviour, must be developed to tackle discrimination.

Bystander Intervention in Bullying and Sexual Harassment Training: Mixed-Method Evaluation of NAB IT!

The goal of the current pilot study was to examine the effects of bystander intervention training on a sample of 27 high school students who were selected by their peers as opinion leaders. Measures of bystander intervention knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were included in the within-subjects design. Sixteen of the students also participated in focus groups to provide feedback about their experiences with the training. Results showed that participating students reported increases in knowledge about bullying and sexual harassment, confidence in intervening, acceptance of responsibility, knowing what to do, and acting to intervene (including direct intervention, providing support, and reporting to an adult) from pre-to posttest. Themes from focus groups indicated that students found the training relevant and helpful, particularly for focusing on both bullying and sexual harassment and for providing opportunities to learn and practice multiple intervention strategies. Barriers to intervening based on the type of violence (e.g., physical vs. relational or verbal) and relationship with the people involved were also themes. Directions for future research and implications for practice, such as focusing on dissemination to the larger student body and implementing bystander intervention training within the context of a positive school climate that emphasizes social and emotional competencies, are discussed.

Victim Centered, Aggressor Focused, and Bystander Friendly: A Qualitative Analysis of Bystander Intervention Strategies and Outcomes for Sexual Harassment or Assault.

Limited qualitative research has been conducted to understand the experiences of victims of sexual harassment or assault (SHA) when a bystander intervenes. Even less research has focused on the consequences of bystander actions from the victim's perspective, particularly regarding the aggressor's subsequent behavior toward the victim and occurrence of verbal or physical harm to those involved. This qualitative study aimed to address these limitations with the following research questions: (a) what strategies did victims of SHA identify bystanders use when intervening? (b) what strategies were present when the aggressor's behavior was stopped, paused, or continued toward the victim? and (c) what strategies were present when verbal or physical harm occurred to someone involved? Adult women between the ages of 18 to 30 (N = 25, college student = 80%) were interviewed about one situation of bystander intervention during SHA since the age of 16 years. Findings suggest that victims identified direct, distance, distract, delegate, and proximity strategies by bystanders. Most participants reported that the aggressor's behavior stopped or paused following bystander action, and in these cases, at least one distance or direct strategy was reportedly used most frequently. Approximately, 24% and 8% of participants reported verbal or physical harm, respectively, to at least one party. Direct and distance strategies were most frequently mentioned in experiences of SHA that involved harm. When the aggressor's behavior continued (i.e., was not altered during the event) despite bystander actions, strategies most frequently reported included distract, delegate, and proximity. Together, results suggest that bystander intervention training programs and future research may be needed to understand under what contexts certain strategies successfully prevent or thwart SHA while maintaining emotional and physical safety for those involved.

Navigating privacy tensions when responding to online aggression at postsecondary institutions

AbstractPostsecondary institutions have a legal responsibility to ensure that students have access to a safe learning environment. While institutions adopt policies and hire administrators to protect students from harm, many are underprepared to support students when these harmful incidents happen online. This is of increased concern now that online aggression is pervasive across universities worldwide. While faculty, administrators and students agree that online aggression is a significant issue and that institutions ought to provide prevention and response services, there is concern that these efforts might violate privacy norms. We used the theory of privacy as contextual integrity (CI) to explore the tensions that postsecondary students and staff perceive regarding student privacy when responding to incidents of online aggression. To do so, we conducted focus groups with undergraduate students and student affairs administrators from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Mid‐Atlantic USA. Our analysis surfaced three considerations that inform students' and staff's decision to report an incident of online aggression: their closeness to the person making the post, their perception of the online post content as a real threat and their knowledge of an authority figure who could help resolve the situation. We used CI theory to explain how these considerations can inform institutional policy, practice and future research. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Online aggression is a pervasive issue at postsecondary institutions worldwide that can contribute to psychological, academic and developmental issues. Postsecondary students and staff are unsure of how to respond to incidents of online aggression. There is a gap in policies and procedures for responding to online aggression at postsecondary institutions. What this paper adds A novel use of Nissenbaum's (2010) theory of contextual integrity to understand students' and staff's perceptions of privacy. Students' and staff's decisions to intervene or report an online aggression incident are determined by their relationship to the perpetrator, the severity of the social media post and their knowledge of who to tell on campus. Students and staff are reluctant to inform the police out of fear of violence against the perpetrator. Implications for practice and/or policy Raise awareness about responding to online aggression incidents. Implement online bystander intervention training programs to increase awareness and self‐efficacy to intervene in unclear situations. Develop clear policies regarding online aggression, as well as a trustworthy procedure for how to respond.

Simulation for Teaching on Racial Microaggressions and Bystander Intervention — A Theory-Based Guide for Health Profession Education

Microaggressions are words or behaviour that “subtly and unconsciously express a prejudiced attitude”, and racial microaggressions express these attitudes towards people from racial minority groups. The “Bystander Effect” is when the presence of other people means that an individual is less likely to offer assistance or get involved in a situation — bystander intervention training aims to inform about the best ways to avoid this, equipping students with the necessary strategies. In health profession education, teaching on microaggressions and bystander intervention can be done with the use of simulation. Simulated patients (SPs) and environments would be the most appropriate modality of simulation to use, as roleplay would be central. This guide focuses on how to use simulation for teaching on racial microaggressions and bystander training for healthcare students including tips on preparing the students and SPs, planning for the implementation of the simulation training, setting ground rules, showing different scenarios, checking student understanding throughout, using debriefs and course evaluation feedback, and signposting students to available support afterwards. These are topics which are particularly relevant because there have been calls in recent years for healthcare education to be more inclusive and representative of current issues, as the COVID-19 pandemic and resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement have highlighted curriculum gaps. So teaching students about this early is a good start, and simulation is an effective teaching method to help with this.

Bystander Behavior and Sexual Harassment: The Case of the Fashion Industry.

This study examines the role of bystander behavior in cases of sexual harassment within the cultural economy's fashion industry. Using grounded theory to explore 34 sexual harassment narratives posted on Instagram, this analysis revealed that while some bystander victim-alliance behavior occurred in the forms of verbal objections and a strong physical presence to thwart perpetrators, bystander facilitation of perpetrator abuse was much more common. Types of facilitation included active bystander complicity, bystander inaction, and what is termed automatic industry bystander deference, whereby seemingly widespread acceptance of certain norms in the business prevented intervention. Implications for victim counseling, bystander intervention training, and public policy reforms are discussed.

Twelve tips for developing active bystander intervention training for medical students

Healthcare experiences of mistreatment are long standing issues, with many not knowing how to recognise it and respond appropriately. Active bystander intervention (ABI) training prepares individuals with tools and strategies to challenge incidences of discrimination and harassment that they may witness. This type of training shares a philosophy that all members of the healthcare community have a role to play in tackling discrimination and healthcare inequalities. We developed an ABI training programme for undergraduate medical students, after recognising the need for this given the students’ adverse experiences on clinical placements. From longitudinal feedback and robust observations of this programme, this paper intends to provide key learning lessons and guidance on how to develop, deliver and support faculty in facilitating these types of trainings. These tips are also accompanied by recommended resources and suggested examples.

The missing and imagined perpetrator in rape prevention efforts

ABSTRACT In response to unceasing rates of sexual assault, and the failure of statutory interventions to reduce the prevalence of sexual violence, several prevention strategies have emerged. Over the past fifty years, initiatives have included awareness raising campaigns, provision of self-defence training, promotion of rape alarms, and education-based efforts in the form of bystander intervention and consent training workshops aimed at encouraging prosocial action to reduce sexual violence. More recently, a striking array of technologies has emerged claiming the capacity to prevent or mitigate the risk of sexual violence including apps that harness the communication functions of smart technology and a variety of ‘wearables’ designed to protect the body from assault or repel a would-be assailant. In this paper we analyse these prevention initiatives in the modern period, demonstrating that what is striking about the majority is the relative absence of the perpetrator in both design and endorsement. Where an assailant is alluded to, this ‘imagined perpetrator’ tends to reflect stereotypical constructions of how sexual violence occurs and who commits it. The consequence of such representations is that many prevention efforts place responsibility onto potential victims to protect themselves, contributing further to widespread misunderstandings about the realities of rape and rapists.

The Application of Bystander Intervention Scripts: Implications for Guardianship in Action.

Responding to high rates of interpersonal victimization and perpetration among adolescents, schools have implemented bystander intervention (BI) training to educate students to intervene to prevent or stop violence. These trainings function much like an application of scripts for guardianship in action. The current study builds on the overlapping and complementary bodies of BI and routine activities research by testing whether participation in BI training, namely Green Dot (GD), influences individuals' underlying ability to intervene. Using four years of survey data collected from high school students (N = 2,374-3,443), we use item response theory to model the difficulty of engaging in different BI behaviors. We then estimate multivariate ordinary least squares regression models, one for each year, to estimate the effect of GD training on students' ability to intervene. The item response theory results show that BI behaviors differ in terms of how "difficult" they are for respondents to engage in. Findings show that in each year, GD training increased students' underlying ability to intervene. Our findings suggest BI training and guardianship in action scripts should take into account this varying difficulty of intervention behaviors to best train individuals for successful intervention to prevent victimization.

Reaching Conservative Students in Bystander Training Against Sexual Assault: Teaching Pros & Bros

Humane Acts Bystander Intervention Training curriculum (HABIT) aims to reach students less inclined to learn from liberal and more-feminist education offered in current curricula. Using moral foundations theory to encourage bystander intervention in potential sexual assault situations, the authors taught and assessed 137 diverse students within an urban university’s First Year Seminar course. Results indicated the curriculum improved the inclination to intervene in those deemed least likely to intervene.

Sexual Harassment Bystander Training Effectiveness: Experimentally Comparing 2D Video to VR Practice

Sexual harassment (hereafter, SH) is a dysfunctional workplace behavior, resulting in negative outcomes for individuals, workgroups, and organizations. Since #MeToo, companies have been innovating to increase the effectiveness of SH training by incorporating new content (e.g., bystander intervention skills) and new technology (e.g., virtual reality, hereafter VR). However, research has yet to determine the best practices or the effectiveness of these new innovations. The current study hypothesizes that SH bystander intervention training will be more effective when VR practice scenarios are used rather than 2D video practice scenarios. We argue that the increased presence (i.e., the perception that people and places in a virtual simulation are real) afforded by VR should better replicate bystander experiences in real SH situations, thereby allowing trainees to develop bystander skills in a more realistic practice experience than 2D video provides. We experimentally test our hypothesis in a laboratory setting (N = 100). Our results show that the VR practice condition outperformed the 2D video condition by increasing trainees’ intentions to engage in indirect, non-confrontational, and widely applicable interventions (e.g., intervene by removing the target from the situation, approach the target to offer support later). However, our manipulation showed a negative effect on practice engagement (i.e., those in the VR condition explored fewer response options) and no effect on other operationalizations of training effectiveness (e.g., motivation to learn, knowledge, attitudes toward the training, intentions to directly confront the harasser, and intentions to formally report the harassment). Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Does Bystander Intervention Training Work? When Employee Intentions and Organisational Barriers Collide.

Scholars have recently begun to consider the role of bystander intervention training in countering workplace incivility and bullying. Given the scarce empirical evidence of bystander training outcomes in occupational settings, this study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of a bystander intervention training in a large healthcare organisation, by assessing changes to levels of psychological safety, bystander efficacy, intent and behaviours over time. One hundred and forty employees in a large healthcare organisation in New Zealand attended the training and were asked to complete three surveys, one conducted at baseline, one carried out 2weeks following the training and the last survey conducted 2months later. The qualitative and qualitative findings of this study show that the bystander intervention training resulted in significant improvements to bystander attitudes and beliefs, which were ascribed to the quality of training materials, the facilitator and opportunities to role-play bystander intervention strategies. However, the positive bystander beliefs, attitudes and intent to intervene declined in the months following the training. The qualitative findings shed a light on these results and suggest that the participants required support for training transfer in the form of updated and accessible information about negative acts and bystander intervention strategies, leadership support and role modelling of bystander behaviours and civility, and the implementation of accountability systems that ensure the ongoing development of a civility culture.

Sexual harassment bystander training effectiveness: Experimentally comparing 2D video to virtual reality practice.

Sexual harassment (hereafter SH) is a dysfunctional workplace behavior, resulting in negative outcomes for individuals, work groups, and organizations. Since #MeToo, companies have been innovating to increase the effectiveness of SH training by incorporating new content (e.g., bystander intervention skills) and new technology (e.g., virtual reality, hereafter VR). However, research has yet to determine the best practices or the effectiveness of these new innovations. The present study hypothesizes that SH bystander intervention training will be more effective when VR practice scenarios are used rather than two-dimensional (2D) video practice scenarios. We argue that the increased presence (i.e., the perception that people and places in a virtual simulation are real) afforded by VR should better replicate bystander experiences in real SH situations, thereby allowing trainees to develop bystander skills in a more realistic practice experience than 2D video provides. We experimentally test our hypothesis in a laboratory setting (N = 100). Our results show that the VR practice condition differed from the 2D video condition by increasing trainees’ intentions to engage in indirect, nonconfrontational, and widely applicable interventions (e.g., intervene by removing the target from the situation, approach the target to offer support later). However, our manipulation showed a negative effect on practice quantity (i.e., those in the VR condition explored fewer response options) and no effect on other operationalizations of training effectiveness (e.g., motivation to learn, knowledge, attitudes toward the training, intentions to directly confront the harasser, and intentions to formally report the harassment). Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Supplemental Material for Sexual harassment bystander training effectiveness: Experimentally comparing 2D video to virtual reality practice.

Sexual harassment (hereafter SH) is a dysfunctional workplace behavior, resulting in negative outcomes for individuals, work groups, and organizations. Since #MeToo, companies have been innovating to increase the effectiveness of SH training by incorporating new content (e.g., bystander intervention skills) and new technology (e.g., virtual reality, hereafter VR). However, research has yet to determine the best practices or the effectiveness of these new innovations. The present study hypothesizes that SH bystander intervention training will be more effective when VR practice scenarios are used rather than two-dimensional (2D) video practice scenarios. We argue that the increased presence (i.e., the perception that people and places in a virtual simulation are real) afforded by VR should better replicate bystander experiences in real SH situations, thereby allowing trainees to develop bystander skills in a more realistic practice experience than 2D video provides. We experimentally test our hypothesis in a laboratory setting (N = 100). Our results show that the VR practice condition differed from the 2D video condition by increasing trainees’ intentions to engage in indirect, nonconfrontational, and widely applicable interventions (e.g., intervene by removing the target from the situation, approach the target to offer support later). However, our manipulation showed a negative effect on practice quantity (i.e., those in the VR condition explored fewer response options) and no effect on other operationalizations of training effectiveness (e.g., motivation to learn, knowledge, attitudes toward the training, intentions to directly confront the harasser, and intentions to formally report the harassment). Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Correlates of Bystander Intervention Attitudes and Intentions Among Young Adult Active Duty Male Soldiers.

Sexual assault is a significant problem within the United States military. Bystander intervention skills training is recognized as a promising strategy for sexual assault prevention within both civilian and military populations. Sexual assault prevention programs which include training in bystander intervention teach individuals to notice situations that may pose a risk for harm and safely act to positively influence the outcome. This study examines correlates of bystander intervention attitudes and intentions among young adult active duty male soldiers (N = 282) between the ages of 18 and 24. Positive bystander intervention attitudes and intentions were associated with lower levels of rape myth acceptance, greater discomfort with sexism, lower likelihood of continuing an unwanted sexual advance after verbal resistance from a partner, greater likelihood of gaining verbal consent from a partner, and greater perceived peer approval for bystander intervention. In a multiple regression, perceived peer approval for bystander intervention and self-reported lower likelihood of continuing a sexual advance after verbal resistance from a partner emerged as significant predictors of positive bystander intervention attitudes and intentions (R2 = .41). Given that perceptions of peer norms are modifiable, these findings highlight the importance of addressing peer norms in bystander intervention training programs for military personnel.

Student-Athlete Barriers to Bystander Intervention: Assessing Gender Role Conflict and Intentions to Respond Post-Sexual Assault

Student-athlete barriers to bystander intervention have generally not been explored in the literature. This research examined how gender role conflict (GRC) inhibits student-athlete intentions to intervene post-sexual assault due to the masculine norms of the sport culture. Using a non-probability cross-sectional design, 300 student-athletes from five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions completed an anonymous web-based survey. Independent samples t-tests revealed that male student-athletes exhibited greater GRC than female student-athletes. Next, an ordinary least square multiple regression assessed GRC and intentions to respond post-sexual assault. Of all GRC subscales, conflicts between work and leisure-family relations was associated with intentions to respond post-sexual assault and was significantly moderated by gender. Results indicate that student-athletes are not only prone to GRC, but also exhibit barriers to bystander intentions as a result. These findings underscore the importance of engaging student-athletes in bystander intervention training to prevent campus sexual assault. Implications to field of social work will also be discussed.

Staff and Patient Perspectives on Bystander Intervention Training to Address Patient-Initiated Sexual Harassment in Veterans Affairs Healthcare Settings.

One in four women veteran patients experience public harassment by men veterans at Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities. Bystander intervention training-teaching bystanders to identify harassment, assess appropriate responses, and safely intervene before, during, or after an event-is a popular strategy for addressing harassment in military and education settings. We explored staff and veteran patient perspectives on bystander intervention training to address harassment of women veterans in VA health care settings. We conducted 24 staff interviews and 15 veteran patient discussion groups (eight men's groups and seven women's groups) at four VA Medical Centers. We analyzed transcripts using the constant comparative method. Participants expressed divergent views about bystander intervention training to address harassment of women veteran patients at VA. Most participants supported training staff in bystander intervention, but support for training patients was mixed. Participants identified potential benefits of bystander intervention, including staff and patient empowerment and improvements to organizational culture. They also identified potential concerns, including provocation of conflict between patients, lack of buy-in among the VA community, and difficulty in identifying intervention-appropriate situations. Finally, participants offered recommendations for tailoring training content and format to the VA context. Bystander intervention training has the potential to raise collective responsibility for addressing harassment of women in VA and other health care contexts. However, our results illustrate divergent stakeholder views that underscore the importance of engaging and educating stakeholders, securing buy-in, and tailoring bystander intervention programs to local contexts before implementation.

Moral motivations of bystanders in potential sexual assault situations

ABSTRACT Sexual assault on college campuses has become a major concern. A common response has been to provide bystander intervention training, which research shows may provide short-term attitude change without reducing the number of assaults. Current curricula and research may neglect the very factors that could play a part in students’ desire and ability to intervene, one of which may be moral motivations. For this qualitative study, we interviewed students (n = 38) who identified as having been bystanders to a ‘sketchy sexual situation’ to understand, from a moral perspective, their decisions to intervene or not. In exploring narratives, we used Moral Foundation Theory to categorize the moral reasoning of participants and explore the voices and motivations that adhere to these categories. Through a thematic/discourse analysis we identified additional discourses. Implications for changes to bystander intervention training are discussed.

Bystanders to Prevent Peer Sexual Violence: Understanding Patterns of Prosocial Behavior Over Time from Early to Later Adolescence

Programs to prevent peer sexual violence that encourage positive bystander intervention are proliferating. Yet, little is known about how these prosocial behaviors unfold over time across middle to later adolescence. The current study examined helpful bystander actions over three years among students in grades 7-10 (mean age 13.7, range 12-18) at baseline (N = 2539, 53.2% girls). Surveys assessed bystander behavior, social norms, and use of alcohol. Multilevel logistic regression examined patterns of change over time, as well as how changes in attitudes and binge drinking predicted changes in taking bystander action to prevent peer violence. Positive bystander behaviors overall decreased over time, consistent with previous work on bullying. Higher positive social norms and lower denial of sexual violence as a problem were associated with more positive helping behaviors across different waves of data. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of bystander intervention training for peer sexual violence prevention may be enhanced by developing strategies to work against the observed developmental decline in helping, perhaps by social marketing campaigns that can bolster positive social norms.