Bystander Intervention Programs Focusing on Sexual Violence in Academia—A Scoping Review

Abstract

Sexual violence within academia is a major concern, and increased attention is being given to bystander interventions to combat these behaviors. This scoping review aimed to investigate bystander intervention programs focused on the prevention of sexual violence in universities worldwide. Literature searches were conducted using ERC, ERIC, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and PubMed databases. The inclusion criteria were: university-based assessments of a bystander intervention program, and pretest–posttest designs. In total, 1,644 articles were identified, of which 68 were included in the final analysis. Most of the programs focused on students as the target population, and the bystander interventions covered different aspects such as creating new community norms for intervening, increasing a sense of responsibility for intervening, increasing the participants’ feelings of competence, and providing role models for positive bystander behavior. There was a clear trend to use a combination of interactive and educational didactic methods. The programs were mostly delivered in person on campuses. Their outcomes included changes in norms, knowledge, and behaviors. In more one-third of the selected articles, the programs and initiatives were assessed using a pretest–posttest design only, almost just as many had additional follow-up conducted within 3 months. Most intervention programs achieved their intended impacts relating to bystanders and sexual violence, at least in the short term. Thus, investments in these types of preventative initiatives by organizations other than academic institutions could be beneficial.