Barriers to Bystander Intervention in Sexual Harassment: The Dark Triad and Rape Myth acceptance in Indonesia, Singapore, and United Kingdom.

Bystanders have an important role in preventing sexual violence, but they are often reluctant to intervene due to a range of barriers. In this study, we investigated relationships between the Dark Triad of personality (i.e. psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism), rape myth acceptance and five bystander barriers. We addressed the paucity of research by collecting data from three countries (Indonesia, Singapore, and United Kingdom). In total, 716 University staff and students participated in an online survey. We found very few country-level differences in the correlations between the variables. In regression analyses, Machiavellianism and rape myth acceptance both had significant, positive relationships with failure to identify risk, failure to take responsibility, skills deficits and audience inhibition. Narcissism and psychopathy were significantly, negatively associated with audience inhibition and skills deficits. Findings indicate similarity in predictors of perceived barriers to bystander intervention across the three countries.

Barriers to sexual harassment bystander intervention in Ecuadorian universities.

Previous research, mainly in the United States, has identified several barriers to acting as a bystander in sexual harassment at university campuses. Despite the high frequency of harassment in Latin America, there is a dearth of studies investigating barriers to bystander behaviour in this context. In this pilot study, we report findings exploring harassment and bystander behaviour in university staff and students in Ecuador, a Latin American country characterised by masculine social norms and high levels of gender-based harassment. In an on-line survey, 129 staff and students from universities in different regions of Ecuador answered questions about perceptions of seriousness of harassment, rape myth acceptance, actual incidences of being a perpetrator, victim, or a bystander, and the likelihood and difficulties of bystander action. Women and those who scored higher in rape myth acceptance reported more intervention difficulties. In addition, women and those who had previously perpetrated harassment rated their likelihood of intervening lower. Finally, perceptions of harassment as a serious problem in campuses related to a higher likelihood of intervening as a bystander. We discuss the results in terms of practical applications in devising culturally appropriate bystander intervention workshops.