Bystander responses to a violent incident in an immersive virtual environment

Under what conditions will a bystander intervene to try to stop a violent attack by one person on another? It is generally believed that the greater the size of the crowd of bystanders, the less the chance that any of them will intervene. A complementary model is that social identity is critical as an explanatory variable. For example, when the bystander shares common social identity with the victim the probability of intervention is enhanced, other things being equal. However, it is generally not possible to study such hypotheses experimentally for practical and ethical reasons. Here we show that an experiment that depicts a violent incident at life-size in immersive virtual reality lends support to the social identity explanation. 40 male supporters of Arsenal Football Club in England were recruited for a two-factor between-groups experiment: the victim was either an Arsenal supporter or not (in-group/out-group), and looked towards the participant for help or not during the confrontation. The response variables were the numbers of verbal and physical interventions by the participant during the violent argument. The number of physical interventions had a significantly greater mean in the ingroup condition compared to the out-group. The more that participants perceived that the Victim was looking to them for help the greater the number of interventions in the in-group but not in the out-group. These results are supported by standard statistical analysis of variance, with more detailed findings obtained by a symbolic regression procedure based on genetic programming. Verbal interventions made during their experience, and analysis of post-experiment interview data suggest that in-group members were more prone to confrontational intervention compared to the out-group who were more prone to make statements to try to diffuse the situation

Understanding How University Students Use Perceptions of Consent, Wantedness, and Pleasure in Labeling Rape.

While the lack of consent is the only determining factor in considering whether a situation is rape or not, there is sufficient evidence that participants conflate wantedness with consent and pleasurableness with wantedness. Understanding how people appraise sexual scenarios may form the basis to develop appropriate educational packages. We conducted two large-scale qualitative studies in two UK universities in which participants read vignettes describing sexual encounters that were consensual or not, wanted or unwanted and pleasurable or not pleasurable. Participants provided free-text responses as to whether they perceived the scenarios to be rape or not and why they made these judgments. The second study replicated the results of the first and included a condition where participants imagined themselves as either the subject or initiator of the sexual encounter. The results indicate that a significant portion of our participants held attitudes reflecting rape myths and tended to blame the victim. Participants used distancing language when imagining themselves in the initiator condition. Participants indicated that they felt there were degrees of how much a scenario reflected rape rather than it simply being a dichotomy (rape or not). Such results indicate a lack of understanding of consent and rape and highlight avenues of potential educational materials for schools, universities or jurors

Barriers to Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Professionals and the public alike are puzzled by the seemingly irrational behavior of those who stay in abusive relationships. The most common question about intimate partner violence seems to be: “Why does she stay?” This chapter will present the latest research to shed light on the common barriers that make it difficult to leave an abusive relationship. It will address the process of leaving and the counter-intuitive reasons some return to these relationships. Studies reveal that leaving is typically not a single, sudden event, but rather a slow process through several stages. Key variables are organized by levels of the ecological framework. The main variables are clustered in three areas: (1) material resources, (2) psychological forces, and (3) social structural factors. The latter include the way in which formal and informal helpers all too often add insult to injury when survivors reach out for help and how helpers’ beliefs and behaviors are tied to patriarchal norms. Applicable theories of the stay/leave process are presented and assessed. Past empirical and theoretical reviews are updated. The updated information includes the unique experiences of distinctive subgroups. For example, particular barriers may exist for specific cultural groups, races, and religions. Those with children and with more traditional family norms face additional challenges. Counterintuitively, those married to an affluent, high-status abuser often encounter unique barriers. Information and insights from this chapter will help professionals, paraprofessionals, and nonprofessionals further their understanding of abuse victims. It will increase their sensitivity and effectiveness in responding to victims. Several innovative programs for improving survivors’ decision-making are described.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156018/1/Saunders DG 2020 Barriers To Leaving An Abusive Relationship -Chapt in Handbook of Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan.pdfDescription of Saunders DG 2020 Barriers To Leaving An Abusive Relationship -Chapt in Handbook of Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan.pdf : Book chapte