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

Abstract

This study explores an emergent area of bystander research by describing associations between bystander involvement and community or microsystemic support factors across different types of victimizations. A total of 1703 adults and adolescents were surveyed about bystander presence, bystander actions, and bystander safety across 9 forms of victimization. They were also surveyed about 3 community-level factors-collective efficacy, support for community youth, informal community support-and 2 microsystemic factors-social support and tangible family resources community and microsystemic support scores were not typically associated with bystander presence. Higher community and microsystemic support scores, particularly support for community youth, informal community support, and social support, were commonly associated with perceiving bystanders as helpful to the situation. Support scores, especially collective efficacy, were also associated with bystander

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

“…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, ).…”

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

“…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.…”

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

“…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).…”