TY - JOUR PY - 2018// TI - Evaluation of the intervention initiative: a bystander intervention program to prevent violence against women in universities JO - Violence and victims A1 - Fenton, Rachel A. A1 - Mott, Helen L. SP - 645 EP - 662 VL - 33 IS - 4 N2 - Violence against women students is increasingly recognized as a significant public health and human rights issue. The Intervention Initiative is a facilitated bystander intervention educational program commissioned by Public Health England for use by all English universities to prevent violence, abuse, and coercion. The success of the program with first-year law students at a large university in the South West of England was evaluated through course evaluation feedback and in a questionnaire study. Student experience was exceptionally good across all measures. In paired sample t tests, prosocial bystander behavior did not increase significantly from pretest to post-test immediately after taking part in the program. Rape myth acceptance, domestic abuse myth acceptance, and denial decreased significantly (p <.001; d >.599). Bystander efficacy, readiness to help, and responsibility increased significantly (p <.001; d =.408-.703), and intent to help increased significantly (p =.007, d =.248). Exposure to a concurrent social marketing campaign on campus had a significant strengthening effect on improvement of attitudes to rape myths (p =.010) but not any other outcome measures. No significant backlash was identified.

© 2018 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0886-6708 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-16-00074 ID - ref1 ER -