This study applied the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) to understand barriers and facilitators to bystander behaviors in UK students. The BCW includes detailed examination of the capabilities, opportunities, and motivations involved in behaviors. Two surveys (n = 515; n = 201) and a focus group study (n = 12) were undertaken. Capability to intervene may be influenced by confidence and beliefs about physical ability and safety. Students appeared to have the physical opportunity to intervene, but social opportunity might be influenced by cultural norms. Motivations might be influenced by beliefs as well as inherent stereotypes about perpetrators and victims. Behavior change techniques (BCTs) such as instruction on how to perform the behavior, reattribution and creating a valued self-identity should be applied to overcome these barriers. A logic model to theorize the change processes underlying bystander behaviors in this population offers a new perspective on what needs to be addressed in interventions.
Keywords: Behavior Change Wheel; bystander behavior; harassment; hate crime; reporting behavior; sexual assault.
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