Bystander opportunity in situations of alcohol and violence risk: Exploring the feasibility of collecting daily diary data

ABSTRACT

Objective: One strategy to address the health issues among college students is through bystander intervention. However, much is still unknown about bystander behavior. The purpose of the current study was to assess the feasibility of daily diary methodology as applied to bystander opportunity. Method: Using a convenience sample, we examined (1) the frequency at which students encounter alcohol use risk and SDV risk bystander opportunities, and (2) the association between participants’ daily alcohol use and daily bystander opportunity. Participants were a small group of 32 college students (75% women; 100% heterosexual; 93.7% White; 6.3% multiracial; 3.1% Hispanic) who took up to nine daily diary surveys for a total of 207 days. Results: Over 80% of participants completed the required days. Participants experienced at least one bystander opportunity on 24% of days. Participants were significantly more likely to report an alcohol risk bystander opportunity on days when they drank alcohol, compared to non-drinking days.

Keywords:

• Bystander
• sexual violence
• dating violence
• alcohol
• daily diary

Acknowledgments

The authors owe a great deal of gratitude to the participants for the time and energy spent on this study. We would like to thank Jania Marshall who advised on survey methodology, and Grace Morris who revised this manuscript.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of New Hampshire.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.