Effects of the men's program on U.S. Army soldiers' intentions to commit and willingness to intervene to prevent rape: a pretest posttest study

What Will People Think? How College Students Evaluate Bystander Intervention Behavior

Many colleges utilize bystander intervention programs to address gender-based violence. The goal of these programs is to help students overcome barriers to intervention, including evaluation inhibition, which occurs when bystanders expect to be viewed negatively for intervening. We have limited information, though, on how college students evaluate bystanders who intervene. Specifically, we do not know whether evaluations of bystanders who engage in different levels of intervention vary across situations or how men and women who intervene similarly are evaluated. Without this information, it is difficult to design prevention programs that help bystanders overcome evaluation inhibition. To gather this information, we conducted a vignette experiment with college student participants (n = 82). We specifically examined how students evaluated the reasonableness of male and female bystanders who engaged in different behaviors (direct intervention and threatening to tell an authority, direct intervention only, indirect intervention, doing nothing) across four situations (assault at a party, workplace harassment, harassment by a teaching assistant, and intimate partner violence). Analyses of variance found that there was situational variability in how the bystander is evaluated for different intervention tactics, though bystanders who did nothing were always evaluated the most negatively. Bystander's gender, however, did not affect evaluations, suggesting that intervention expectations for men and women are similar. These results indicate that while there is an underlying norm supportive of intervention behavior, situational characteristics influence whether college students think it is reasonable to call authorities, confront the perpetrator, or engage in indirect intervention. The central implication of this study is that bystander intervention training should provide opportunities for students to practice intervention behaviors across a wide variety of situations of gender-based violence in order build up their store of intervention tactics, thus increasing their ability to overcome evaluation inhibition.

Qualitative Analysis of Bystander Intervention Among Young Adult Male Soldiers Who Engage in At-Risk Drinking

Bystander intervention-when someone intervenes to help in situations that pose a risk for harm-is a promising strategy for sexual violence prevention. In the current study, a sample of U.S. Army male soldiers (N = 10; ages 18-24) who engaged in at-risk drinking completed a 90-min individual semi-structured interview to understand the ways in which soldiers intervene to address risk for sexual violence. Two independent raters coded soldier responses using thematic analysis and identified eight main themes: (a) recognizing risk for sexual violence; (b) labeling situations as problematic and taking responsibility; (c) facilitators of intervention; (d) barriers to intervention; (e) intervention strategies; (f) reactions and consequences to intervention; (g) alcohol's influence on intervention; and (h) using bystander intervention to shift cultural norms. As soldiers reported noticing more extreme risks for violence, prevention interventions may help service members identify situations earlier in the continuum of harm. Soldiers anticipated intervening in a way that was physical and aggressive, which could facilitate physical altercation and result in collateral misconduct. Results from the present study reveal ways that bystander intervention programs for civilians can be tailored to address the unique individual, situational, and contextual factors relevant to the military. These findings also highlight the importance of teaching soldiers indirect and nonaggressive strategies for intervention.

An Application of the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression Among Young Adult Male Soldiers

Sexual violence in the U.S. military is a serious concern. Whereas numerous studies document the prevalence of sexual violence among service members, far less research has examined etiological risk factors for sexual aggression perpetration among service members. The present study sought to evaluate the applicability of the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression among a sample of young adult men engaged in active-duty military service within the U.S. Army. Anonymous surveys were completed by 326 male soldiers between the ages of 18 and 24 at a large military installation in the Southeastern region of the United tStates. Men's likelihood to engage in sexual aggression was operationalized as men's perceived likelihood to persist with sexual activity despite a partner's resistance. Aligning with the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression, two composite variables reflecting hostile masculinity and tendency toward impersonal sex were created. A linear regression indicated that the main effects of hostile masculinity and impersonal sex were significantly associated with greater perceived likelihood of sexual aggression perpetration. Results also revealed that while the interaction term between hostile masculinity and impersonal sex was significant, the direction of the relationship suggests that the effect of impersonal sex is weaker at higher levels of hostile masculinity. These findings lend evidence to help identify those at elevated risk for perpetrating sexual aggression, as well as informing programmatic efforts to prevent sexual assault within the military.

Forty Years of Rape Myth Acceptance Interventions: A Systematic Review of What Works in Naturalistic Institutional Settings and How this can be Applied to Educational Guidance for Jurors

A systematic review of research assessing rape myth acceptance (RMA) interventions within institutional settings was conducted. The aim of this review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors in rape trials that addresses rape myths, given previous evidence that RMA can affect decision-making and verdicts (Dinos et al., 2015; Gravelin et al., 2019; Leverick, 2020). 12 databases were searched, filtered to return peer-reviewed journals, published from 1980 to 2020, written in English. After removing duplicates from the 5,093 search results returned, 2,676 studies were screened for inclusion. Research studies were included in the review if they assessed the impact of a naturalistic intervention on RMA within an institutional setting. Studies that did not compare an experimental condition to a control condition or did not randomly allocate participants to conditions were excluded. Studies were also excluded if they used a non-validated, or adapted, RMA measure. 20 Research studies were included within the review and were critically appraised according to an author-created critical appraisal tool. It was concluded that RMA interventions can have a short-term impact upon individuals' RMA. Intervention types that were effective in reducing RMA included those that presented RM information; those that contained an empathy component; and bystander programmes. With regards to duration and format, short interventions led to reductions in RMA, and most successful interventions were presented via videos. Implications for policy and practice, and recommendations for future research, are discussed.

Factors Influencing Sexual Violence Situation Witnessing Experience: For Korean Occupational Soldiers

This study explored the influencing factors related to the possibility of a military colleague's intervention by comparing the awareness of sexual violence, gender consciousness, social self-efficacy, and self-esteem of Korean occupational soldiers related to the experience of witnessing sexual violence. From 4 September to 3 November 2022, an online survey was conducted targeting occupational soldiers working in all regions of South Korea by collecting snowball samples with gender allocation applied. Subjects responded to questions about sexual violence awareness, gender consciousness, witnessing sexual violence, social self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Data were collected until the number of professional soldiers with witnessing experience met the minimum target number by checking whether they had witnessed sexual violence among the response results. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and logistic regression. There were 102 subjects (40.9%) who had witnessed sexual violence by their military colleagues, and there were significant differences in sexual violence awareness, gender awareness, and social self-efficacy according to whether they had witnessed sexual violence. Compared to the unexperienced group, the group who witnessed sexual violence by their military colleagues showed significantly higher sexual violence awareness by 2.01 times and social self-efficacy by 2.27 times. In order to prevent sexual violence among occupational soldiers, it is necessary for military colleagues to play the role of active bystanders and witnesses. To this end, it is necessary to develop an educational direction and bystander's witnessing program related to the improvement of the unit's sexual violence awareness, gender awareness, and social role as a soldier.

Correlates of Bystander Intervention Attitudes and Intentions Among Young Adult Active Duty Male Soldiers

Sexual assault is a significant problem within the United States military. Bystander intervention skills training is recognized as a promising strategy for sexual assault prevention within both civilian and military populations. Sexual assault prevention programs which include training in bystander intervention teach individuals to notice situations that may pose a risk for harm and safely act to positively influence the outcome. This study examines correlates of bystander intervention attitudes and intentions among young adult active duty male soldiers (N = 282) between the ages of 18 and 24. Positive bystander intervention attitudes and intentions were associated with lower levels of rape myth acceptance, greater discomfort with sexism, lower likelihood of continuing an unwanted sexual advance after verbal resistance from a partner, greater likelihood of gaining verbal consent from a partner, and greater perceived peer approval for bystander intervention. In a multiple regression, perceived peer approval for bystander intervention and self-reported lower likelihood of continuing a sexual advance after verbal resistance from a partner emerged as significant predictors of positive bystander intervention attitudes and intentions (R² = .41). Given that perceptions of peer norms are modifiable, these findings highlight the importance of addressing peer norms in bystander intervention training programs for military personnel.

The Girls' Leadership Academy: A Promising, Empowerment-Based Approach to the Prevention of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence (SV) is a pernicious issue that disproportionally impacts girls and women. Although few initiatives have demonstrated effectiveness in leading to reductions in SV, global health organizations have identified empowerment-based programs as a promising approach to SV prevention. The purpose of this article is to discuss the Girls Leadership Academy (GLA), a program of the Nebraska's Women's Center for Advancement, which is a "homegrown," theoretically grounded, practice-based SV prevention program for adolescent girls. More specifically, we discuss previous research relevant to the GLA; the theoretical underpinnings of the GLA; and the history, context, and content of the GLA.

A Systematic Review of Bystander Interventions for the Prevention of Sexual Violence

INTRODUCTION

Bystander interventions have been successful in changing bystander attitudes and behaviors to prevent sexual violence. This systematic review was performed to summarize and categorize the characteristics of sexual violence bystander intervention programs and analyze bystander intervention training approaches for the primary prevention of sexual violence and assault.

METHOD

From June to July 2017, the authors searched both published and unpublished American and Canadian studies from 2007 to 2017. The published sources included six major electronic databases and the unpublished sources were Google Scholar and the 40 program websites. From the 706 studies that resulted from this initial search, a total of 44 studies (that included a single bystander intervention program and assessments at both pretest and at least one posttest) were included.

RESULTS

Thirty-two percent of studies analyzed bystander behavior postintervention, and most found significant beneficial outcomes. The most frequently used training methods were presentation, discussion, and active learning exercises. Bringing in the Bystander and The Men's Program had the most replicated empirical support for effectiveness.

DISCUSSION

There has been a substantive increase in quasi-experimental and randomized controlled trial approaches to assessing the effectiveness of this type of intervention since 2014. The training methods shared between these efficacious programs may translate to bystander interventions for other victimization types, such as child abuse.

CONCLUSION

The use of in-person bystander training can make positive changes in attitudes and behaviors by increasing awareness of a problem and responsibility to solve it.

The Effectiveness of Male-Targeted Sexual Assault Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis

According to Black et al., one in five women will be raped during their lifetimes. In one national survey, it was found that of 14,989 female college students from nine institutions, 34% reported experiencing a completed or attempted sexual assault in their lifetimes and 21% of them reported that they had experienced a completed or attempted sexual assault as a college student. Therefore, effective sexual assault prevention efforts targeted at men are needed, and several initiatives have been developed. The current study provides a meta-analytic investigation of male-targeted sexual assault prevention interventions. Eligible studies were located from the following databases: Psychological Information Database, Education Resources Information Center, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Google Scholar, Dissertation Abstracts Online, Criminal Justice Abstracts, and reference sections of relevant articles. The weighted mean effect size for between-subjects studies of sexual assault attitudes showed improvement (d = -0.24, k = 25), and the effect was statistically significant (p < .001). The weighted mean effect size for between-subjects studies of future inclinations toward engaging in sexually aggressive behavior (d = -0.20, k = 13, p = .02) and toward engaging in sexual assault prevention behavior (d = 0.27, k = 10, p = .007) showed statistically significant improvements as well. However, the weighted mean effect sizes for between-subjects studies of rape empathy, sexual assault knowledge, sexual assault-related attitudes, and sexual assault perpetration were nonsignificant. Results show there is significant room for growth, both in terms of practical applications and further research.

Bystander Interventions on Behalf of Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence Victims

Using newly available U.S. nationally representative data from the No More study (N = 1,307), this article investigates (a) knowledge of sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) victims within one's social network; (b) who intervenes, whom they intervene on behalf of, and how they intervene; and (c) the perceived barriers to intervening in IPV specifically. The findings reveal that knowledge of violence, the likelihood of intervening, and the intervention approaches taken all vary demographically and by violence type. Among respondents who have known a victim, one- third report having intervened for sexual assault, while one-half report having intervened for IPV. For both types of violence, respondents are more likely to have intervened on behalf of family or friends than on behalf of more distant network members. However, respondents are more likely to have solicited the help of authorities and less likely to have offered safe haven in instances of sexual assault than in instances of IPV. The most commonly cited barriers to IPV intervention include fear of injury, fear of misinterpretation, and belief that IPV is a private matter, though these vary across demographic groups. These findings indicate that the decision to intervene is highly contextual-contingent on the individual characteristics of the intervener, situational characteristics of the violence, and the relationship between the intervener and the victim.

Interventions to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health in US Active Duty Military Service Members: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

To identify and describe behavioral interventions to promote sexual and reproductive health among US active duty military service members.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic searches of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychINFO (N = 1609 records).

INCLUSION CRITERIA

English-language articles published between 1991 and 2018 and retrieved using search terms related to military service, interventions, and sexual and reproductive health.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Articles excluded if not empirically based, not published in peer-reviewed journals, did not sample active duty US military personnel, and did not examine the effectiveness of specified preventive sexual or reproductive health intervention(s).

DATA EXTRACTION

Teams of paired authors extracted study rationale; aims; design; setting; description of the intervention; measures; sample demographics; clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes; and conclusions.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Given the heterogeneity of studies, narrative synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria: 10 focused on sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition and/or unintended pregnancy and 5 on sexual assault. Studies that assessed clinical outcomes found that interventions were associated with lower rates of STIs and/or unintended pregnancy. Significant effects were found on knowledge-related outcomes, while mixed effects were found on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence on the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health interventions in the US military is limited in quality and scope. Promoting sexual and reproductive health in this population is critical to maintaining well-being among servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding military installations.

Veterans in Prison for Sexual Offenses: Characteristics and Reentry Service Needs

Among prison-incarcerated men in the United States, more veterans (35%) have a sexual offense conviction than nonveterans (23%). Limited research has investigated factors explaining the link between military service and sexual offending. Nationally representative data from prison-incarcerated men (n = 14,080) were used to examine the association between veteran status and sexual offenses, adjusting for demographic, childhood, and clinical characteristics. Veterans had 1.35 higher odds (95% confidence interval = [1.12, 1.62], p < .01) of a sexual offense than nonveterans. Among veterans, those who were homeless or taking mental health medications at arrest had lower odds and veterans with a sexual trauma history had higher odds of a sexual offense compared with other offense types. Offering mental health services in correctional and health care settings to address trauma experiences and providing long-term housing options can help veterans with sexual offenses as they transition from prison to their communities.

"I'm Sure as Hell Not Putting Any Man on a Pedestal": Male Privilege and Accountability in Domestic and Sexual Violence Work

Efforts to involve men as allies in domestic and sexual violence work are expanding, marking a shift for these historically women-led movements. Although this shift is beneficial, it also generates new challenges. From a multi-method qualitative study, this article presents descriptive findings about the internal tensions accompanying the "men as allies" development, namely the gender inequality and male privilege reproduced within movement organizations. I draw on sociological theorizing about men in female-dominated professions to explain the reproduction of gender inequality within movement spaces. I also examine how people are dealing with these tensions by developing a discourse around "men's accountability." My findings suggest that, although discourse about accountability has been successfully integrated into the culture of domestic and sexual violence work, there are key challenges that hinder effective accountability practices. I end by offering suggestions for implementing accountability practices at the organizational level. This study contributes important empirical and theoretical insights currently missing from the literature on male allies, which can be used to inform men's growing involvement in anti-violence work.

Evaluations of Sexual Assault Prevention Programs in Military Settings: A Synthesis of the Research Literature

The prevention of sexual assault (SA) in the U.S. military is a significant priority. This study applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to a literature search that identified research evaluating SA prevention programs conducted within military settings. Only six studies published between 2005 and 2016 met criteria for inclusion in the review. Studies demonstrated high heterogeneity in the: (1) conceptual framework of the prevention approach; (2) target population and timing of administration; (3) study recruitment methods; (4) methodological design; (5) method of delivery, program dosage and theory of change; and (6) outcome administration and efficacy. Scientific rigor according to the Oxford Center for Evidence-based Medicine was also variable. Several gaps in the research base were identified. Specifically, research evaluating SA prevention programs have only been conducted among U.S. Army and U.S. Navy samples. Most studies did not examine whether program participation was associated with reductions in rates of sexual violence. Studies also lacked utilization of a long-term follow-up period. Additionally, studies did not reflect the types of SA prevention programs currently being implemented in military settings. Taken together, further research is needed to enhance the evidence base for SA prevention in the military, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches currently being conducted with service members.

Prevalence of Bystander Intervention Opportunities and Behaviors Among U.S. Army Soldiers

The bystander intervention model is one approach utilized to reduce risky behaviors within the U.S. Army; however, it is unclear how frequently soldiers experience opportunities to intervene and whether they already intervene in such situations. The present analysis aims to ascertain frequencies for opportunities to intervene and the rates at which soldiers intervene when presented with such opportunities. Soldiers ( N = 286) were asked whether they had witnessed particular risky behavior scenarios of interest to the Army (i.e., suicide-related behaviors, alcohol misuse, or sexual harassment/assault) during the previous 2 months and whether they had intervened in those scenarios. Prevalence rates within this sample were calculated to determine the frequency of such situations and subsequent interventions. Logistic regression was used to ascertain any differences in witnessing scenarios by demographic groups. Nearly half (46.8%) of the soldiers reported witnessing at least one scenario involving risky behaviors. Most soldiers who witnessed an event relating to suicide or alcohol misuse also reported consistently intervening (87.9% and 74.4%, respectively), whereas just half consistently intervened in response to scenarios relating to sexual harassment/assault (49.2%). Lower ranking soldiers were twice as likely as higher ranks to witness scenarios involving alcohol misuse (odds ratio = 2.18, 95% confidence interval [1.11, 4.26]) and sexual harassment/assault (odds ratio = 2.21, 95% confidence interval [1.05, 4.62]). These data indicate that soldiers regularly encounter opportunities to intervene in risky behaviors, and while a majority intervened in such scenarios, more training is warranted, particularly around sexual assault and harassment. This supports the notion that bystander intervention training is a worthwhile investment for the Army.

See Something, Do Something: Predicting Sexual Assault Bystander Intentions in the U.S. Military

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the U.S. military, especially against women. Bystander intervention is increasingly promoted as important for reducing sexual violence, and it may be particularly helpful in contexts with high rates of sexual violence. Bystander training encourages and enables people to intervene safely and stop sexual violence. In this study, we drew from an ecological model to investigate intrapersonal, microsystem, and exosystem factors that predicted Service members' assumption of personal responsibility to intervene in an alcohol-involved sexual assault. Moreover, we examined how these predictors played a role in decisions about how to intervene: confronting the perpetrator, assisting the victim, or finding someone to help. We analyzed data from 24,610 active duty personnel collected by the Department of Defense. Several factors significantly related to Service members' bystander intentions: gender, rank, morale, attitudes about sexual assault, training, and trust in the military sexual assault system predicted the likelihood and method of bystander intervention. These findings help identify how and why people intervene (or fail to intervene) when they witness situations that could develop into sexual violence.

Evaluation of the Green Dot Bystander Intervention to Reduce Interpersonal Violence Among College Students Across Three Campuses

Evidence suggests that interventions to engage bystanders in violence prevention increase bystander intentions and efficacy to intervene, yet the impact of such programs on violence remains unknown. This study compared rates of violence by type among undergraduate students attending a college campus with the Green Dot bystander intervention (n = 2,768) with students at two colleges without bystander programs (n = 4,258). Violent victimization rates were significantly (p < .01) lower among students attending the campus with Green Dot relative to the two comparison campuses. Violence perpetration rates were lower among males attending the intervention campus. Implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.