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Sexual Assault-specific Bystander Behavior: Accounting for Opportunity in a Prospective Analysis of the Effects of Individual, Social Norms, and Situational Variables

Murphy, Megan J.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1389008840

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
Bystander intervention in response to sexual assault risk on college campuses has received a great deal of attention in the past decade. Researchers have identified a number of correlates of sexual assault-specific bystander behavior (e.g., gender, bystander efficacy, social norms variables). However, the extant literature in this area is limited by a number of critical factors. First, the majority of the existing empirical findings are based on individuals’ intentions to intervene, rather than on actual intervention behavior. Second, this body of literature is almost entirely retrospective in nature. Finally, these studies have neglected to assess whether participants were exposed to situations in which they had the opportunity to engage in bystander behavior, resulting in a lack of clarity as to whether low scores on bystander behavior measures are indicative of a lack of intervention behavior or a lack of opportunity to intervene. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to prospectively examine sexual assault-specific bystander behavior in a sample of 134 college men and 326 college women after accounting for opportunity to intervene. On average, bystanders intervened in only 23% of the situations they observed over an 8-week interim period. Women engaged in a greater percentage of bystander behavior over the interim period than did men. Previous sexual assault prevention/risk reduction program participation, bystander efficacy, and lack of evaluation apprehension were predictive of higher percentages of bystander behavior engaged in over the interim period for both men and women. Additionally, women with a history of sexual assault victimization engaged in a greater percentage of bystander behavior over the interim than women without a history of sexual assault victimization. For men, a lower perception of peer comfort with sexism was related to greater percentage of bystander behavior over the interim. Implications for future research and bystander prevention programming are discussed.
Christine Gidycz, PhD (Advisor)
Timothy Anderson, PhD (Committee Member)
Jeff Vancouver, PhD (Committee Member)
Vess Matthew, PhD (Committee Member)
Vander Ven Thomas, PhD (Committee Member)
133 p.
Psychology
bystander behavior; sexual assault; risk reduction; bystander

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Murphy, M. J. (2014). Sexual Assault-specific Bystander Behavior: Accounting for Opportunity in a Prospective Analysis of the Effects of Individual, Social Norms, and Situational Variables [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1389008840

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Murphy, Megan. Sexual Assault-specific Bystander Behavior: Accounting for Opportunity in a Prospective Analysis of the Effects of Individual, Social Norms, and Situational Variables. 2014. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1389008840.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Murphy, Megan. "Sexual Assault-specific Bystander Behavior: Accounting for Opportunity in a Prospective Analysis of the Effects of Individual, Social Norms, and Situational Variables." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1389008840

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.