Citation

Hines DA, Bishop LRS, Palm Reed KM. Violence Vict. 2019; 34(3): 397-413.

Affiliation

Clark University, Department of Psychology, Worcester, MA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Springer Publishing)

DOI

10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-18-00046

PMID

31171725

Abstract

Although sexual assault (SA) prevention programs on college campuses are increasingly prevalent, no studies explore the influence of program components on outcomes. Empathy exercises are frequently included in such programs, with the intent of changing participant emotions and attitudes in order to change subsequent behavior. This study evaluated whether the inclusion of an empathy exercise within a SA prevention program impacted participants' emotions and attitudes, and subsequent helping behaviors in SA bystander situations. Three-hundred and seventy students (63% women) participated in an evaluation of a mandatory bystander intervention program; half the students received the program containing an empathy exercise and half received the program that did not. For women only, participation in the program with the empathy exercise led to more negative emotions and fewer attitudes condoning SA, the latter of which influenced greater prosocial bystander behaviors 6 months later.

© Copyright 2019 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

Language: en

Keywords

bystander intervention; empathy; prevention; sexual assault