Behavioral modeling

Inspiring college students to intervene in instances of sexual assault

Bibliographic Data

ID21577210
AuthorsEmily A Andrews (0000-0002-4615-4916, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, corresponding author), Janet Z Yang (0000-0002-5989-5254, Twitter (United States))
Year2021
Volume38
Issue1
Pages33-45
Publication date2021-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCommunication Research Reports (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0882-4096 • E-ISSN: 1746-4099
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08824096.2020.1870446
OpenAlexW3122802414
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited29

Sexual assault is a troubling issue across universities in the United States. Bystanders who witness sexual assault can play a powerful role in preventing or reducing sexual assault; however, they often do not intervene when they still have the chance. The current study uses an experimental design to study the effect of prosocial bystander modeling on college students’ intention to intervene in future witnessed instances of sexual assault. Results indicate that perceived behavioral control is more influential on intention to intervene when participants are exposed to the prosocial bystander message. This result suggests that vicarious learning may increase individuals’ perceived ability to intervene. Our findings have practical implications for improving sexual assault prevention training on college campuses

Bystander effect · Developmental psychology · Medical emergency · Poison control · Prosocial behavior · Sexual assault · Witness · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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