Bystander reluctance in the aftermath of collegiate sexual misconduct
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11469822 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kira Tebbe (0000-0002-9579-3802, Yale University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1710-1728 |
| Publication date | 2021-05-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0265407521999753 |
| OpenAlex | W3138437246 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Most collegiate sexual misconduct victims disclose their experience to a friend, whose reaction and subsequent action are vital for a victim’s social-emotional recovery. The current study focuses on this broader peer community that has learned about an assault and their motivation or reluctance to take action in its aftermath. Thirty-nine undergraduate students were interviewed about the one or more times they had heard of someone else’s uncomfortable sexual encounter, for a total of 86 recalled incidents. Overall, students who learned of misconduct were affected by their newfound knowledge: they were shaken when an assault was discussed lightly, they evaluated the severity of the assault, they prioritized the victim’s wellbeing when considering actions to take, or they were surprised to hear of the assault in the first place. Yet grounded theory analysis identified four main barriers—a belief that the situation is not serious enough, a desire to avoid harming the victim, a lack of knowledge and confidence with their role, and a preference to take action outside of formal channels—that often prevented these reactions from translating into responsive action, leaving victims with less social support and continuing the underreporting of sexual misconduct. Recommendations include expanding bystander intervention training to include an assault’s aftermath and adding educational programming that challenge rape myths
Action (physics · Bystander effect · Criminology · Intervention (counseling · Misconduct · Poison control · Political science · Psychiatry · Sexual assault · Sexual misconduct · Suicide prevention · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology
Correlates of Formal and Informal Support Seeking in Sexual Assault Victims
Multi - College Bystander Intervention Evaluation for Violence Prevention
Disclosure and Service Use on a College Campus After an Unwanted Sexual Experience
Social Reactions to Rape Victims
Unwanted Sexual Contact on Campus
Validation in Inquiry-Guided Research
Reporting Sexual Victimization To The Police And Others
Rape Myth Beliefs and Bystander Attitudes Among Incoming College Students
College Women's Experiences with Physically Forced, Alcohol- or Other Drug-Enabled, and Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Before and Since Entering College
When Can I help? A Conceptual Framework for the Prevention of Sexual Violence Through Bystander Intervention
Women’s Sexual Orientations and Their Experiences of Sexual Assault Before and During University
To Whom Do College Women Confide Following Sexual Assault? A Prospective Study of Predictors of Sexual Assault Disclosure and Social Reactions
Evaluation of Green Dot
False Allegations of Sexual Assault
College Women’s Experiences With Rape Disclosure
Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosure
Healing or Hurtful
Unsupported or Turned Against
Deciding Whom to Tell
Was It Rape? The Function of Women's Rape Myth Acceptance and Definitions of Sex in Labeling Their Own Experiences
Rape Myth Acceptance
Being Silenced
Sexual violence prevention through bystander education
Evaluating the One-in-Five Statistic
The Making of Unwanted Sex
| Highly cited | No |
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