Where Are the Helpful Bystanders? Ecological Niche and Victims’ Perceptions of Bystander Intervention

Banyard, Victoria L.; Weber, Marcela C.; Grych, John H.; Hamby, Sherry

doi:10.1002/jcop.21760

Cited by 38 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…As many as 20% of U.S. high school‐attending girls, and 10% of boys, report experiencing physical or sexual dating violence in the past year (Vagi, Olsen, Basile, & Vivolo‐Kantor, ), and approximately 94% will directly witness or hear about an incident of DSV in a given year (Edwards, Rodenhizer‐Stämpfli, & Eckstein, ). Consequently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers, and practitioner experts have issued repeated calls for effective primary prevention approaches, and particularly encouraged strategies that influence community norms and bystander behavior (Banyard, Weber, Grych, & Hamby, ; Basile et al., ; Rothman, Bair‐Merritt, & Tharp, ; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Community Norms and Youths’ Reactive and Proactive Dating and Sexual Violence Bystander Action

Rothman

Edwards

Rizzo

et al. 2019

American J of Comm Psychol

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Highlights• Dating and sexual violence prevention programs that promote bystander intervention are popular.• More information about what facilitates or inhibits bystander behavior in DSV situations is needed.• Youth perception of community norms were associated with action frequency for many bystander actions.Abstract There is enthusiasm for programs that promote bystander intervention to prevent dating and sexual violence (DSV). However, more information about what facilitates or inhibits bystander behavior in DSV situations is needed. The present cross-sectional survey study investigated whether youth perceptions of adults' behavior and community norms were associated with how frequently youth took action and intervened in DSV situations or to prevent DSV. Specifically, study hypotheses were that youths' perceptions of communitylevel variables, such as adults' willingness to help victims of DSV or prevent DSV, perceptions of community collective efficacy, and perceptions of community descriptive and injunctive norms disapproving of DSV and supporting DSV prevention, would be associated with how frequently youths took reactive and proactive bystander action. Participants were 2172 students from four high schools in one New England state. ANOVA analyses found that descriptive norms were associated with all actionist behaviors, and perceptions of community cohesion were also consistently associated with them. Injunctive norms were associated, but less consistently, with actionist behaviors. Findings suggest that DSV-related social norms, and descriptive norms and community cohesion in particular, might be relevant to youth DSV bystander behavior.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Community Norms and Youths’ Reactive and Proactive Dating and Sexual Violence Bystander Action

Rothman

Edwards

Rizzo

et al. 2019

American J of Comm Psychol

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“…Indeed, there is research to suggest that prevention programming for youth (across a variety of health behaviors) is most effective when it also engages parents and school personnel (Finkelhor, Vanderminden, Turner, Shattuck, & Hamby, 2014;Thornton, Craft, Dahlberg, Lynch, & Baer, 2000;Whitted & Dupper, 2005). Consistent with a bystander-focused approach to prevention (Banyard, 2015;Banyard, Edwards, & Seibold, 2015;Banyard, Weber, Grych, & Hamby, 2016;Edwards, Mattingly, Dixon, & Banyard, 2014;McMahon, 2015), engaging important adults in the lives of youth is key because these individuals can be taught to model the attitudes (e.g., resistance to violence accepting attitudes) and behaviors (e.g., positive bystander action, and nonviolent behaviors) we are attempting to promote in youth.…”

Section: O R I G I N a L A R T I C L Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Preventing Teen Relationship Abuse and Sexual Assault through Bystander Training: Intervention Outcomes for School Personnel

Edwards

Sessarego

Mitchell

et al. 2019

American J of Comm Psychol

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The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of exposure to Bringing in the Bystander—High School Curriculum (BITB‐HSC) on school personnel, which included a seven session classroom curriculum for ninth through twelfth graders (student curriculum), a bystander training workshop for school personnel (school personnel workshop), and reading materials (handout). We examined how exposure to these various BITB‐HSC intervention components was associated with school personnel's knowledge and bystander efficacy, intentions, and barriers specific to student relationship abuse (RA) and sexual assault (SA). Participants were 488 school personnel from 12 high schools in upper New England who completed the 4‐month follow‐up survey that assessed for intervention exposure (284 participants completed both the baseline and follow‐up survey). Whereas 53% of participants were exposed to no intervention components, the other half of the sample were exposed to a combination of intervention components. Higher baseline knowledge and reactive bystander intentions were associated with subsequent exposure to both the student curriculum and the handout, and fewer barriers to bystander action predicted exposure to the school personnel workshop. Exposure to the school personnel workshop, student curriculum, and handout was associated with subsequent greater knowledge, exposure to the student curriculum predicted reactive bystander intentions, and exposure to the handout predicted higher reactive bystander intentions and bystander efficacy. Findings suggest that despite challenges with engagement, exposure to the BITB‐HSC components may be a useful tool in improving school personnel's responses to RA and SA among high school students.

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“…Studies have shown that informal helpers are vital sources of support and care for individuals and families with a range of clinical concerns, such as the elderly (Sasso & Johnson, 2002), adults living with HIV/AIDS (Reynolds & Alonzo, 1998), and 479 families receiving child protective services (Manji, Maiter, & Palmer, 2005). Further, bystander intervention research has shown that responsive behavior by informal helpers is key to preventing various types of violence, such as childhood sexual abuse, peer bullying, and sexual assault (Banyard, Weber, Grych, & Hamby, 2016;Finkelhor, 2009;Lodge & Frydenberg, 2005). Informal helpers also provide support for victims of sexual violence, who may be reluctant to seek professional help because of fear and shame (Ansara & Hindin, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“We almost had the whole block's phone number on the wall”: A mixed methods investigation of informal helping in a predominantly rural sample

Hagler

Hamby²,

Banyard

2018

Journal Community Psychology

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Community psychologists have noted the limitations of professional models of mental health treatment, demonstrating that people are more likely to use informal familial or community support during adversity. However, relatively little is known about the forms and functions of informal help seeking and provision. Semistructured interviews (N = 170), in which a sample of predominantly rural‐dwelling adolescents and adults described significant life experiences, were coded for instances of receiving help. Codes thematically categorized the type of adversity, role of the helper, and nature of the help received. Most participants (67.64%) reported the presence of at least one informal helper; only 8.82% of participants discussed receiving professional help. Chi‐square analyses suggested that the nature of the help received varied by the types of helper and adversity being experienced and that different helpers were more likely to aid with particular adversities. The presence of a nonfamilial, nonprofessional helper was associated with higher posttraumatic growth, generativity, and perceived social support.

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Where Are the Helpful Bystanders? Ecological Niche and Victims’ Perceptions of Bystander Intervention

Cited by 38 publications

References 20 publications

Perceptions of Community Norms and Youths’ Reactive and Proactive Dating and Sexual Violence Bystander Action

Perceptions of Community Norms and Youths’ Reactive and Proactive Dating and Sexual Violence Bystander Action

Preventing Teen Relationship Abuse and Sexual Assault through Bystander Training: Intervention Outcomes for School Personnel

“We almost had the whole block's phone number on the wall”: A mixed methods investigation of informal helping in a predominantly rural sample

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