Abstract
Objective: Research on bystander behavior has focused on factors that influence bystanders' decision to take action. Less is known about what happens after bystanders intervene and, specifically, positive and negative outcomes they may experience as a result of their actions. There is a need for new measures of what happens after bystanders respond. This study presents the initial evaluation of the psychometric properties of five newly created self-report measures of consequences of bystander action; they encompass general and specific outcomes, including feelings about bystander action, reactions of the potential victim, reactions of the potential perpetrator, and responses from other bystanders. Method: Young adults (N = 1,391) were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and a university psychology subject pool and completed surveys. We examined the factor structure of these newly developed measures, their reliability, and gender differences in perceptions of bystander consequences. Results: Factor analyses of each scale produced factors representing positive and negative consequences, and a third type of consequence for bystander feelings and responses from others (uncertainty and apathy, respectively). Subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency and preliminary evidence of validity. Conclusions: The current data capture a range of experiences that young adults report after taking action to prevent sexual assault or dating violence, and increase our understanding of the positive and negative impact of bystander action. The information is vital for improving bystander-focused prevention efforts to promote positive outcomes and mitigate negative outcomes.