Abstract

Existing research shows the extent of interpersonal violence including acts of ‘hate’ experienced by students at universities in the UK (NUS, 2011, 2018; Phipps and Young, 2015; Roberts et al., 2019; Stenning et al., 2013). As such, Universities UK (2016) recommend universities implement evidence-based bystander interventions so that students as agents of social change, challenge the underlying beliefs that uphold such violent and abusive behaviours. There are few evaluations of bystander interventions in the UK (see Fenton and Mott, 2018). This paper presentation builds on the existing evaluation carried out on a bystander project at a university in 2017/18 (Donovan and Corr, 2018), through a statistical analysis of pre and post-intervention data gathered during 2018/19. Using one-way repeated measures ANOVA, the results show that the aims of the session have been met in the short-term. The implications of the research are discussed in relation to the aims of the project to ensure that the bystander effect is addressed. The limitations of the study (sample size, questionnaire design) are outlined and recommendations are advised for the bystander project and the university.