Abstract
The bystander intervention approach to campus sexual violence has received increased attention as a promising prevention strategy. However, there lacks research on the perspective of historically minoritized students, such as students of color, LGBTQ-spectrum students, and the intersections thereof. As such, the purpose of this paper is to present the findings from an exploratory study regarding bystander intervention that focused exclusively on the perspectives of 101 racialized and/or LGBTQ-spectrum students at three campuses across a large public university. Using concept mapping methodology, the study was conducted in three phases: brainstorming of statements about bystander intervention, sorting and rating of statements, and mapping and interpretation of the results. Using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, a six-cluster solution was determined, representing key themes related to supporting students’ efforts as helpful bystanders. Overall, findings indicate a need for bystander intervention efforts to widen their focus by employing an intersectional, social justice lens. Study participants identified various forms of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and microaggressions as intertwined with their ability to be active bystanders on college campuses.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Jennifer Perillo as well as Camila Belliard-Quiroga for their assistance with the project and paper.
Funding
This study was partially funded by a subaward from the NJ Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety (Subaward # V-84-16) from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice (Award # 2016-VA-GX-0072), and partially funded by the Rutgers School of Social Work.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (Arts and Sciences IRB # Pro20170001073) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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McMahon, S., Burnham, J. & Banyard, V.L. Bystander Intervention as a Prevention Strategy for Campus Sexual Violence: Perceptions of Historically Minoritized College Students. Prev Sci 21, 795–806 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01134-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01134-2