Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | Being a Bystander of Sexual violence/harassment in Greek Higher Education: Psychological Impact and the Role of Resilience |
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| Contribution code | D3.145 |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Aims: This study focuses on bystanders of incidents of sexual misconduct in Greek higher education institutions. Bystander intervention influences behaviours like disclosure and reporting of sexual violence and harassment and is linked to a decrease in such incidents in universities. This study aimed to explore i) the extent to which students witness these events in Greek universities and ii) whether these experiences affect their psychological well-being, particularly anxiety levels. Methods: The study included 279 Greek public university students (211 females, mean age = 25.5), who provided demographic information and responses on their bystander experiences. Self-report tools assessing psychological health aspects, including anxiety and resilience, were also administered. Results & Conclusions: The percentage of participants who stated that they had witnessed an incident where a student was subjected to sexual misconduct was 17%. Hierarchical regression models indicated that sex and age (F (2, 276) = 12.468, p < 0.001), followed by the addition of bystander experience (F (1, 275) = 4.361, p = 0 .038), significantly predicted anxiety, explaining 9.7% of the variance. Resilience added to the explained variance of anxiety, above and beyond the contribution of age, sex and being a bystander R2 change = 0.02, F (1, 274) = 35.880, p < 0.001. While being a bystander of sexual misconduct is associated with increased anxiety, the results highlight the protective role of resilience. Incorporating resilience-building strategies into bystander training programs to mitigate the emotional consequences of such experiences and to increase the likelihood of intervention is suggested. |