Bystander Intervention
Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect whether he chooses to be so or not. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Perhaps the most famous case surrounding the discussion of bystander intervention is the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964. Arriving home late at night after work Genovese was attacked and stabbed twice in the back. After screaming the attacker fled, only to return ten minutes later to find his victim barely conscious having crawled into a hallway in the back of a building, where he finished stabbing and raping her. Only after the final attack were the police called by a witness. Later investigation revealed that dozens had heard her cries for help, but did nothing.
We might think that this type of incident is uncommon and not something we would ever encounter or witness. Yet every week there are countless reports of sexual violence where college students are assaulted at parties; high school students assault other high school students on the school bus; party-goers are witness to drug facilitated sexual assault. When the reality is that one in every four girls and one in every six boys will be raped or sexually abused before they reach the age of eighteen in Indiana – it’s time for everyone to get involved! (Report on Rape in Indiana 2003)
With college age young adults being in the highest risk bracket for sexual assault, prevention and risk reduction programs are now found at mostUnited Statescolleges and universities. A review of the sexual assault prevention research literature from 1970 to 2002 identified two broad categories of programming, self-defense trainings and educational programs (Sochting et al. 2004). Mixed-gender attitude (educational) programs are more prevalent than self-defense programs and include information on sexual assault prevalence, debunking rape myths and rape supportive attitudes, discussions of gender-stereotypical behavior, and practical suggestions for safe dating behaviors (Bachar and Koss 2001; Sochting et al. 2004). Although common at universities, attitude changes usually revert to previous levels within months, men’s rape-supportive attitudes sometimes increase, and there are only weak effects on sexual assault incidence (Breitenbecher 2000; Rozee and Koss 2001; Sochting et al. 2004).
Recent recommendations for more effective sexual assault prevention programs include a focus on the role of the bystander (Banyard et al. 2004; Berkowitz 2002; Schewe 2002). In contrast to traditional prevention education programs that address audience members as potential perpetrators or potential victims, bystander education programs address audience members as potential bystanders that can intervene to prevent sexual assault (Banyard 2008; Lonsway et al., in preparation). The approach may include training people to interrupt a sexual assault or situations that may lead to sexual assault, teaching them to speak out against social norms supportive of sexual violence, and preparing them to provide support to survivors (Banyard et al. 2007). A bystander approach to sexual assault prevention has potential benefits. Banyard et al. (2004) suggest that bystanders can help create new community norms for intervention to prevent sexual assault, increase others’ sense of responsibility for intervening and their feelings of competence, and provide role models of helping behavior. A bystander focus creates less defensiveness because people are approached as potential allies rather than as potential victims or potential perpetrators (Banyard et al. 2004; Berkowitz 2002). An emphasis on bystanders as prevention agents also reduces the burden of sole responsibility for rape avoidance often placed on the potential victim (Ullman 2007). Moreover, most sexual assaults are perpetrated by a small percentage of serial perpetrators (Lisak and Miller 2002) whose motivations for assault are complex and hard to change.
Five Step Model for Bystander Intervention (Latane and Darley)
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Notice the event
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Interpret it as an emergency
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Take Responsibility for acting
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Decide How to Act
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Choose to Act
INCASA and many of the local rape crisis centers offer Bystander Intervention training. For more information or to connect with a local program in your area for training and resources please contact .
Great Resources:
