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Involving youth in developing and implementing prevention programs to reduce sexual violence (SV) has the potential to improve prevention outcomes. However, there has been little focus on youth-led SV prevention programs, and limited evaluation research to help guide efforts. The current study examined the effectiveness of Youth Voices in Prevention (Youth VIP) leadership retreats on SV victimization and perpetration, forms of violence related to SV (e.g., bullying), SV bystander behaviors and readiness, and perceptions of norms related to SV prevention. Results identified mixed findings for program impact, with variations in outcomes that can help guide future youth-led prevention program initiatives. Youth attending a large "kick-off" leadership retreat (that was less youth-led that subsequent smaller retreats) later reported more bystander behaviors, but also reported increased perpetration and victimization, compared to non-attending youth. However, youth attending smaller, more focused leadership retreats held during the school year, reported reductions in sexual harassment perpetration and improved bystander behaviors and attitudes compared to non-attending youth. Evaluation of moderator variables suggests that program impact was generally stronger for younger participants, sexual minority youth, and non-White youth (which were largely Native American youth in this sample). Findings suggest promise for youth-led prevention work but also highlight the need for testing the impact of different training structures and modalities.

This paper examines the likelihood of violence in successive cohorts of students in a small city during the implementation of a youth-led sexual violence prevention initiative. We compared the likelihood of violence among students who were in 8th, 9th, and 10th grade before the programming to the likelihood of violence among students who were in 8th, 9th, and 10th after the programming. Participants were 2,647 middle- and high-school youth who completed five surveys over 3 years. Later cohorts were less likely to report violence, suggesting that the prevention initiative may have led to reductions in violence over time. Despite limitations (e.g., lack of a comparison group), these data underscore the need for future evaluation of the community-wide impact of youth-led violence prevention initiatives.

Mattering is the subjective perception that others are aware of us, care about us, and depend on us at the interpersonal (e.g., friends) and societal levels (e.g., workplace, school). Interpersonal and university mattering explain important variances in college students' well-being and academic performance; therefore, shorter, more tailored measures of mattering may be useful to campus personnel who work closely with students (e.g., student affairs). We evaluated a 12-item interpersonal mattering measure (IM-S) and a 10-item university mattering measure (UM-S), shortened forms of the Interpersonal Mattering Index and the Unified Measure of University Mattering, respectively. In Study 1, both original measures were administered to a sample of college students (N = 180) and exploratory factor analyses determined items to retain for further analysis. In Study 2, the shortened measures were administered to another sample of college students (N = 447). Confirmatory factor analyses and supporting psychometrics showed preliminary evidence for reliability, discriminant validity, and proof of concept. The IM-S and UM-S measures provide researchers and academic institutions with brief alternatives to facilitate research on how programs and initiatives may promote mattering among students.

Objective: This study is an examination of college students' bystander behaviors in relation to several exosystem factors related to their institution, including trust in their college's support systems, perceived procedural justice by campus police, and perceived procedural justice by campus administrators. Participants: Online surveys were completed by 223 students at a mid-sized public institution in the Northeastern U.S. Methods: Responses were analyzed using an OLS multiple regression to examine bystander behaviors in relation to their perceptions of institutional exosystem factors. Results: Students who felt more favorably about both campus police and campus admin were more likely to have intervened in the past as a bystander; trust in school had no effect. Conclusions: Perceptions of institutional leaders and representatives are important to consider as influential motivators for bystander behavior. School personnel trainings and policies which increase visibility of staff as trustworthy and fair should be part of comprehensive campus antiviolence efforts.

Adherence to rigid masculine gender role beliefs is often a significant predictor of violence perpetration; additionally, there is a consistent link among adolescent boys between experiencing victimization and perpetrating violence. This study examines the nuances in those associations specifically for sexual harassment victimization, perpetration, and masculine gender role beliefs in a rural sample of adolescent boys. A convenience sample of 236 boys' responses to an electronic survey completed at school were examined using multiple regression analysis to explore the relation of perpetration with victimization and four gender-related attitudes, specifically male power, relationship control, acceptability of violence, and apathy toward others. Consistent with prior research, victimization was strongly related to perpetration; however, this link was true only when attitudes on male power and apathy toward others were also high. Findings indicate that certain attitudes within hegemonic masculinity may be more involved than other beliefs in the victim-to-perpetration adolescent violence cycle. Prevention programming that incorporates content on masculinity may be more effective if focused intentionally on these aspects of gender role beliefs. Implications are also discussed in the context of how rural boys may engage with ideas of masculinity., Author(s): Andrew J. Rizzo [sup.1] , Victoria L. Banyard [sup.2] , Katie M. Edwards [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.167436.1, 0000 0001 2192 7145, University of New Hampshire, , 15 Academic [...]

Background: Relationship abuse (RA) and sexual assault (SA) are major problems among high school students, and school personnel are an important part of preventing RA and SA among youth. Therefore, we examined the rates and correlates of bystander intentions among school personnel in situations of RA and SA. Methods: School personnel (N = 1150) from 25 high schools in New England completed surveys that assessed their RA and SA knowledge, perceptions of school climate specific to RA and SA, and RA and SA bystander efficacy and bystander intentions. Results: Across each type of bystander behavior measured, the vast majority of school personnel reported intentions to intervene. In the multilevel regression analyses, both proactive and reactive bystander intentions were related to higher levels of RA and SA bystander efficacy and perceptions of a more positive school climate and lower levels of RA and SA barriers to intervene. Conclusions: These data support the utility of school-based interventions that seek to improve school climate and teach school personnel skills that enhance bystander efficacy and reduce bystander barriers in student situations of RA and SA. Although they would need to be evaluated, such interventions could promote positive bystander action among school personnel and untimely contribute to reductions in RA and SA among high school youth.

The purpose of the current study was to use data from multiple sources to examine aspects of implementation (i.e., program fidelity, barriers and enablers to implementation, and acceptability) of a bystander-focused violence prevention curriculum. Four public high schools and one community-based agency in upper New England participated in the current project in which teachers, agency staff, or students were trained to facilitate a bystander-focused relationship abuse and sexual assault prevention curriculum. Survey and interview data were collected from facilitators (N = 62), survey data were collected from program recipients (i.e., adolescents; N = 192), and fidelity and process observations were collected from research staff who observed sessions (N = 8). Results indicated that on the whole facilitators were pleased with the training they received, the program content, and the delivery format. Program fidelity was determined to be generally high; barriers to fidelity included technological issues, running out of time, and unintentionally forgetting content. Students generally rated the program positively, although they suggested areas for improvement, including having more interactive and less repetitive content. These findings can be used by other researchers, schools, and practitioners implementing manualized classroom-based prevention programs.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of bystander programs that address sexual violence on college campuses. Program effects on student attitudes/beliefs and bystander behavior were examined. Durability of program outcomes and the influence of program-delivery methods (e.g., facilitator-led programs vs. video, online or poster campaign programs) and program-parameters (e.g., program length) were also evaluated. Methods: Twenty-four studies met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, and 207 separate results from these studies were coded. Results: Students who participated in a bystander program, compared to those who had not, had more pro-social attitudes/beliefs about sexual violence and intervening to prevent it, and engaged in more bystander behavior. Program effects diminished over time, but meaningful changes persisted for at least three months following program delivery. Longer programs had greater effects than shorter programs on attitudes/beliefs. Conclusions: Bystander programs can be a valuable addition to colleges' violence prevention efforts.

While mixed methods research can enhance studies of intervention outcomes and projects where research itself transforms communities through participatory approaches, methodologists need explicit examples. As the field of interpersonal violence prevention increasingly embraces community-level prevention strategies, it may benefit from research methods that mirror community-building prevention processes. A multiphase mixed methods study with sequential and convergent components assessed the feasibility, and impact of a prevention program to change social norms and increase collective efficacy in towns. Joint display analysis created a nuanced picture of the acceptability, feasibility, and impact of the program. This article contributes to the field of mixed methods research by bridging discussions of "interventionist" studies with models of community-based participatory mixed methods research into a combined community-engaged method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluations of bystander intervention education programs demonstrate that this approach results in students' increased willingness to intervene in prosocial ways to prevent sexual violence (e.g., Moynihan, Banyard, Arnold, Eckstein, & Stapleton, 2010). These programs often focus on first-year college students, though theories and research on student development raise questions about when students are best trained as bystanders (Bennett, Banyard, & Garnhart, 2014). Designing appropriate bystander educational efforts for students as they enter college requires understanding the base of knowledge and behavior they already possess. To date, however, research into this question is sparse. In this article the authors examine the patterns of bystander behavior reported by incoming college students to provide a better view of the landscape into which bystander-focused prevention on college campuses is placed.

Research highlights the high rates and deleterious outcomes of teen dating and sexual violence (DSV), underscoring the critical role of prevention. School personnel have an important role in preventing DSV among teens. The purpose of this study was to explore the rates and correlates of school personnel's opportunity and actions to intervene in situations of teen dating and sexual violence. Participants were 1,150 high school personnel from twentyfive schools recruited via e-mails, flyers, and staff meetings. Results showed that 65.4 percent of school personnel had the opportunity to intervene in at least one type of DSV situation during the past year, and 37.4 to 80.9 percent of school personnel (depending on the type of situation) engaged in positive bystander action when given the opportunity. Further, 47.1 percent of school personnel talked to teens about how to get help if they were experiencing DSV, and 72.3 percent talked to teens about how to have healthy relationships. In general, greater DSV knowledge and efficacy and fewer barriers to intervention in situations of DSV were related to greater bystander opportunity and action. However, for some types of situations (e.g., couples physically fighting), few if any correlates emerged, suggesting the need for future research that includes a more comprehensive set of correlates of bystander opportunity and action in situations of DSV. These findings underscore the critical need for DSV-specific bystander intervention training for high school personnel that helps them recognize situations of DSV and equips them with skills to respond effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The object of this exploratory evaluation was to evaluate the "Bringing in the Bystander" sexual and intimate partner violence prevention program with a new sample of intercollegiate athletes. Participants and Methods: Fifty-three male and female athletes participated in the program (experimental group), and 86 were in the control group. All completed pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow-up surveys, including assessment of rape myth acceptance, intent to engage in bystander behaviors, bystander confidence, and bystander behaviors. Results: The program worked overall and for both women and men, improved bystander confidence and intent to engage in bystander behaviors, and did not create significant backlash effects (ie, worsening of attitudes as a result of program). Conclusions: The program fits with the intent of the National Collegiate Athletic Association CHAMPS/Life Skills program regarding its focus on the overall development of student-athletes and demonstrates the promising bystander approach compatible with the 2007 American College Health Association toolkit, "Shifting the Paradigm: Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence." (Contains 1 table.)

Since sexual assault survivors are most likely to disclose their experiences to a friend; prevention efforts increasingly focus on friends as informal helpers. The current study examined friends' perceptions of the disclosure experience. Undergraduates (N = 1,241) at the University of New Hampshire completed a shortened version of the Ahrens and Campbell (2000) Impact on Friends measure. Results found that about 1 in 3 female undergraduates and 1 in 5 male students were told by a friend that they were a victim of an unwanted sexual experience. Gender differences were found in friends' responses to disclosure. Women reported greater emotional distress in response to a friend's disclosure, greater positive responses and lesser-perceived confusion/ineffectiveness as compared to men. Implications include the need to develop specific and clear educational material to help the community cope with and effectively respond to unwanted sexual experiences on college campuses. (Contains 4 tables.)

Increasing numbers of empirical studies and theoretical frameworks for preventing sexual violence are appearing in the research- and practice-based literatures. The consensus of this work is that although important lessons have been learned, the field is still in the early stages of developing and fully researching effective models, particularly for the primary prevention of this problem in communities. The purpose of this article is to discuss the utility of applying the transtheoretical model of readiness for change to sexual violence prevention and evaluation. A review of this model and its application in one promising new primary prevention program is provided, along with exploratory data about what is learned about program design and effectiveness when the model is used. The study also represents one of the first attempts to operationalize and create specific measures to quantify readiness for change in the context of sexual violence prevention and evaluation. Implications for program development and evaluation research are discussed. (Contains 6 tables.)

Sexual violence is a widespread problem for college communities. Students, faculty, and staff are increasingly involved in prevention efforts. To date, however, evaluation of sexual violence prevention programs has shown mixed results. One promising new practice teaches segments of college communities to be engaged, positive bystanders. It aims to both raise awareness about the problem of sexual violence and build skills that individuals can use to end it. The framework is grounded in research about the causes of sexual assault on campuses and factors identified by health behavior theories for changing attitudes and behavior. Evaluation of data using a bystander model is just beginning to appear. The current study presents a brief evaluation of one bystander program conducted with two groups of student leaders on one midsize public university campus in the Northeast. Results show the program to be effective, even among a group of student leaders who have a higher level of general awareness of campus community problems and training in working with students. Implications for programming and future research are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

The current study used an experimental design to evaluate a sexual violence prevention program based on a community of responsibility model that teaches women and men how to intervene safely and effectively in cases of sexual violence before, during, and after incidents with strangers, acquaintances, or friends. It approaches both women and men as potential bystanders or witnesses to behaviors related to sexual violence. Three hundred and eighty-nine undergraduates participated and were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups or a control group. Results from the research reveal that up to 2 months after participating in either a one- or three-session version of the program, participants in the treatment conditions showed improvements across measures of attitudes, knowledge, and behavior while the control group did not. Most program effects persisted at 4- and 12-month follow-ups. The program appeared to benefit both women and men. Implications and future directions for research are discussed. (Contains 9 tables and 1 footnote.)