A Mixed Media Campaign to Promote Bystander Intervention and Reduce Alcohol Use Among College Students: A Pilot Study

Alcohol's Effects on the Bystander Decision-Making Model: A Systematic Literature Review

To decrease rates of sexual assault victimization, young people are encouraged to become involved when they see questionable sexual situations (i.e., be a prosocial bystander). Several factors can facilitate or inhibit intervention, including alcohol use. To inform bystander prevention programs that aim to address alcohol's impact on bystanders, the current study reviewed research focused on alcohol use and bystander decision making. In December 2022, the authors searched published studies from six major electronic databases. Empirical articles were deemed eligible if they examined alcohol and the bystander decision-making model within the context of sexual assault, were based in the United States or Canada, and not an intervention study; 32 studies were included in the final review. Across 32 studies published between 2015-2022, 12 assessed the proximal effects of alcohol on bystander constructs and the additional studies examined the distal effects of alcohol on bystander constructs. Alcohol use appeared to impede earlier steps of the bystander decision-making model; however, alcohol use was associated with impeding and facilitating bystander decision making at the latter half of the model. Overall, alcohol use appears to be negatively rather than positively associated with bystander constructs. Bystander intervention programs may want to move beyond the narrative of alcohol as a risk factor for sexual assault and discuss how alcohol impairs a bystanders' ability to recognize risk. More work is needed to ensure researchers assess alcohol consistently and with similar methods (number of drinks, subjective intoxication) to increase generalizability of findings to prevention programs.

Advancing a Comprehensive Multilevel Approach to Sexual Violence Prevention Using Existing Efficacious Programs

ABSTRACT

Sexual violence (SV) is a serious and long-standing public health problem on college campuses. At institutions of higher education, campus administrators, activists, and practitioners have worked for decades to address campus SV. Despite federally mandated campus SV prevention programming, rates of campus SV remain unchanged. The purpose of this commentary is to outline a strategy for enhancing campus SV prevention efforts using a comprehensive multilevel approach utilizing existing efficacious programs. The following three strategies for implementing optimal campus SV prevention are proposed, which include (a) the need to prioritize efficacy, (b) targeting multiple levels of the social ecology, and (c) leveraging the benefits of in-person programming and technology-driven prevention. A call to action is included for both institutions of higher education administrators and practitioners to implement and invest in comprehensive multilevel interventions using existing, efficacious SV programs, ideally combining a technology-based program with an in-person component. Furthermore, a coordinated effort between prevention and response is needed to achieve successful prevention of campus SV and revictimization, including a connection with the community for postassault interventions. Thus, implementing multilevel interventions on college campuses using existing evidence-based programs in combination with a coordinated community response of postassault interventions can bring the campus community together and is optimal to moving the needle on rates of campus SV.

Alcohol's Role in Campus Sexual Assault Bystander Behavior: A Systematic Review

Between 50% and 70% of campus sexual assaults (SA) involve alcohol and campuses frequently promote bystander intervention strategies to prevent SA in student party contexts. This systematic review evaluates the measurement and outcomes of quantitative studies on how alcohol affects campus SA bystander outcomes. Using four search strategies and rigorous systematic review methods, we conducted a review of 36 studies. We included studies published after 2,000 conducted with college students in the United States, its territories, and Canada which contained information on alcohol use and SA bystander outcomes (behaviors and upstream proxies). Only a third of included studies measured bystander behavior directly, the majority measured upstream proxies (e.g., intentions, self-efficacy). Most studies considered the influence of victim intoxication on bystander outcomes. No studies assessed the pharmacological or physiological effects of alcohol on bystander outcomes. A single study examined hypothetical bystander responses when intoxicated, one-third examined bystander's typical alcohol use in relation to bystander outcomes. Many findings are contradictory, including fundamental details such as how often students encounter SA involving alcohol or whether bystanders' alcohol use predicts outcomes. Findings suggest that students are less likely help intoxicated victims compared to sober victims, but there are clear moderating factors. Perpetrator intoxication was not studied in relation to bystander behavior and did not influence any upstream proxies. Evaluations of interventions on alcohol and bystander topics are promising yet more research is required. This review illuminates key gaps in the literature, including the need for validated measures and scenarios, event-level studies, and alcohol administration trials.

Formative research to develop an app to prevent dating and sexual violence and alcohol use among high school youth

The purpose of this study was to conduct formative research to inform the development of an app, that would simultaneously engage youth and adults, to prevent dating and sexual violence (DSV) and alcohol use (AU). Participants (N = 56) were high school students, parents/guardians, and professionals (e.g., school personnel) from across the United States who participated in online focus groups. Overall, participants had positive perceptions of the utility, helpfulness, and effectiveness of an app to prevent DSV and AU among high school students. Participants provided in depth information about both the content (e.g., local rates of DSV and AU) and features (e.g., skills-based, inclusion of incentives, help button) that the app should include. These preliminary data suggest that future research to develop and pilot an app for both youth and adults to prevent DSV and AU among high school students is warranted.