How Helpful Is Bystander Intervention? Perspectives of Dating and Sexual Violence Survivors

• NCJ Number: 305329
• Journal: Violence Against Women Dated: August 22, 2022
• Author(s): S. McMahon
• Date Published: August 2022
• Grant Number(s): 2016-VA-GX-0072
• Agencies: OVC-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

Although bystander intervention education has demonstrated promise as a strategy to reduce dating and sexual violence (DSV) on campus, little is known about whether survivors on whose behalf the interventions take place find these helpful, so this paper uses qualitative, in-depth interviews with 33 DSV survivors to explore their perspectives on bystander intervention.

Abstract

Results indicate that while some interventions were identified as helpful, especially those that provided support to the survivor, many were not helpful enough or even harmful. Further work is needed to understand the consequences of bystander action. (Publisher abstract provided)