Behavioral modeling: inspiring college students to intervene in instances of sexual assault

Sexual assault is a troubling issue across universities in the United States. Bystanders who witness sexual assault can play a powerful role in preventing or reducing sexual assault; however, they often do not intervene when they still have the chance. The current study uses an experimental design to study the effect of prosocial bystander modeling on college students’ intention to intervene in future witnessed instances of sexual assault. Results indicate that perceived behavioral control is more influential on intention to intervene when participants are exposed to the prosocial bystander message. This result suggests that vicarious learning may increase individuals’ perceived ability to intervene. Our findings have practical implications for improving sexual assault prevention training on college campuses.