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Analysis of Bystander Behavior Towards Intimate Partner Violence via Peerformance
Mieko Yoshihama1, Amy C Hammock2, Fatmeh Baidoun1
1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|January 15, 2021
Summary
Bystander interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) varied significantly among participants in a South Asian community. Training should focus on building a repertoire of actions rather than prescribing specific responses.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Public Health
- Community Psychology
Background:
- Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue.
- Understanding bystander behavior in response to IPV is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
- Previous research often lacks culturally specific insights into bystander actions within diverse communities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine bystander actions in response to simulated intimate partner violence (IPV) within a South Asian community in the Midwestern USA.
- To explore the diversity of bystander responses and their underlying dimensions.
- To inform the development of culturally sensitive IPV bystander intervention programs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the forum theatre method from Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed in a peer-led IPV prevention program (Peerformance).
- Collected data through videotaping bystander responses to an enacted IPV scenario.
- Applied a grounded theory approach and visual analysis to analyze bystander actions.
Main Results:
- Bystanders exhibited a wide range of actions, including de-escalation, information provision, conflict resolution encouragement, and expressions of empathy/support.
- Observed actions spanned multiple dimensions: introductory, investigative, supportive/empathic, informational, instructional, instrumental, and confrontational.
- Significant variation in responses to the same IPV scenario highlights challenges in creating a one-size-fits-all bystander program.
Conclusions:
- The diversity of bystander responses suggests that IPV bystander programs should focus on expanding participants' repertoires of action rather than prescribing specific behaviors.
- Training should encourage collective examination of the strengths and limitations of various actions within their sociocultural context.
- Peerformances offer a valuable, realistic milieu for community members to explore and practice IPV interventions, moving beyond indifference.
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