The Influence of Risk Assessment and Relationship Closeness on Bystander Actions

There are posited to be many factors that contribute to (or disinhibit) bystander action in response to having the opportunity. Some commonly cited factors include assessment of the riskiness of the situation, a person’s relationship with the target of harm, and a person’s own perceived barriers to intervention. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of risk assessment and relationship closeness on engaging in bystander action, in the context of personal barriers. Data from n = 1,594 college students who completed a campus climate survey and indicated having an opportunity to use bystander intervention were analyzed. Mediated moderation path analyses were used to examine whether relationship closeness moderated the relationship between risk assessment and bystander actions, mediated by bystander barriers in eight unique bystander situations. There was no association between risk assessment and bystander actions across situations (Hypothesis 1). Additionally, there was no interaction between risk assessment and relationship closeness across situations (Hypothesis 2). The relationship between risk assessment and bystander action was mediated by bystander barriers only in Situation 1 (i.e., witnessed intoxication with fear they’d be taken advantage of) (Hypothesis 3). Direct relationships were found in all situations between bystander barriers and taking action. Additional theoretical and empirical work needs to be conducted to understand factors that influence bystander actions in specific situations. Prevention programming, particularly bystander intervention programs, should continue to reduce barriers to bystander action in order to increase the likelihood that bystanders intervene when they witness something concerning.