Stand, Speak, Act: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to evaluate a sexual assault bystander intervention campaign on a tri-campus university

Abstract

In response to alarmingly high rates of sexual assault on college campuses, the U.S. government has called on universities to help prevent sexual assault through various programs, trainings, and campaigns. Bystander intervention campaigns, which focus on educating young adults on how to react and intervene when witnessing sexual violence, have been implemented on many university campuses across the country. Because this approach is currently the most widely utilized sexual assault prevention strategy, it is important to assess its effectiveness through theory-based research. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which considers the role of efficacy, intent, and perceived control in behavior change, this dissertation evaluates a bystander intervention campaign implemented across a multi-sited university. An online survey was distributed to students (N=678) at each of the University of Washington’s (UW) three campuses: Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma. Statistical analyses revealed five key findings: 1) there is an important difference between bystander efficacy and bystander intent; 2) formal exposure to bystander intervention does result in higher student bystander efficacy and intent; 3) student perceptions of their perceived control behaviors is associated with their bystander efficacy and intent; 4) age may be a conflicting influence in how students intend to perform bystander behaviors; and 5) bystander intervention type does not explain any variance in student bystander efficacy or intent scores across campuses, suggesting bystander campus interventions should be tailored differently to better reach their respective campuses. Based on these findings, implications and recommendations are offered to improve bystander intervention campaigns on college campuses nationwide, including tailored suggestions for how each UW campus site can implement programs that are grounded in theory and research.