Evaluation of Green Dot: An Active Bystander Intervention to Reduce Sexual Violence on College Campuses

Abstract

Using a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 7,945 college undergraduates, we report on the association between having received Green Dot active bystander behavior training and the frequency of actual and observed self-reported active bystander behaviors as well as violence acceptance norms. Of 2,504 students aged 18 to 26 who completed the survey, 46% had heard a Green Dot speech on campus, and 14% had received active bystander training during the past 2 years. Trained students had significantly lower rape myth acceptance scores than did students with no training. Trained students also reported engaging in significantly more bystander behaviors and observing more self-reported active bystander behaviors when compared with nontrained students. When comparing self-reported active bystander behavior scores of students trained with students hearing a Green Dot speech alone, the training was associated with significantly higher active bystander behavior scores. Those receiving bystander training appeared to report more active bystander behaviors than those simply hearing a Green Dot speech, and both intervention groups reported more observed and active bystander behaviors than nonexposed students.

College Students’ Attitudes toward Debt

“…In risky situations, there are a variety of reasons why people may choose not to act (Bennett, Banyard, & Garnhart, 2013;Burn, 2009). Bystander intervention programs discuss the most common reasons why people choose not to intervene, including personal barriers (e.g., shyness), social barriers (e.g., fear of embarrassment), and faulty thinking (e.g., rape myth acceptance), and then provide students with a variety of strategies to overcome those barriers to intervene safely in risky situations (Banyard et al, 2004;Coker et al, 2011;McMahon, 2010). The ultimate goal is to change students' bystander attitudes and increase the likelihood they will become active bystanders in their communities.…”

“…A growing body of literature indicates that bystander intervention is an effective model in the prevention of sexual assault (Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007;Coker et al, 2011;Moynihan & Banyard, 2008). However, as more college campuses seek to adopt bystander intervention programs, it is increasingly important to research potential barriers to their effectiveness across different demographic groups and institutional contexts.…”

Identifying links between sexual violence and youth violence perpetration: New opportunities for sexual violence prevention.

“…These programs train individuals to intervene with their peers to change social norms and prevent SV in high-risk situations. Several programs have been developed and implemented with high school, college, and military populations (e.g., Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007;Coker et al, 2011;Potter & Moynihan, 2011). Although, to date, none of these programs have demonstrated effects on SV perpetration behavior using a rigorous evaluation design, the existing evidence is promising and additional evaluations are underway.…”

Outcomes of a Bystander Intervention Community Health Service-Learning Project

“…Bystander intervention training is one strategy being used by some colleges and universities to reduce preventable injuries (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). This training is based on a well-known social phenomenon, the bystander effect, where ambiguity and diffusion of responsibility result in the failure of individuals to assist others in need (11)(12)(13).…”