SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND BYSTANDER INTERVENTION

Sexual violence, though pervasive, is preventable. One way is through bystander intervention. You may have heard the post-9/11 phrase, “If you see something, say something,” which calls on the public to identify suspicious activities or potential terrorism. The same applies here.

Bystanders, if they intervene, can play a key role in deflecting intended sexual violence from occurring. But it can be difficult for bystanders to know what to say, or how to act, in situations where they suspect someone may be at risk. Additionally, being a bystander has its own set of psychological consequences, as they bear indirect or direct witness to trauma.

For this Discussion, you view a video case in which the circumstances for a potential act of sexual violence are put in motion. You analyze the bystander behavior in the video and the possible effects of sexual violence on survivors and bystanders.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

TO PREPARE:

· Review the Learning Resources on sexual assault, dating violence, and bystander intervention. Focus on the theories of bystander intervention described in the assigned journal articles.

· Watch the Johnson Family video case study.

· Consider the behavior of the people in the video, paying particular attention to a bystander’s decision whether to intervene.

BY DAY 3

Apply one bystander intervention theory to the behavior of those exhibited in the video. Then, describe a scenario in which a bystander could have influenced this scenario in a different way. Please use the Learning Resources to support your application of theory.

BY DAY 6

Respond to two colleagues by explaining the possible psychological effects experienced by both sexual violence survivors and bystanders.