Stepping Up To Prevent Violence

Erin Strange, Violence Prevention Specialist – Oasis Program

Melanie Fleck, Outreach SpecialistKaren Johnston, Student Employee - Oasis Program

University of Arizona Campus Health ServiceHealth Promotion & Preventive Services

2011 Student Affairs Symposium

5 Questions

• How did this project come to be?• What is the Step Up! Program?• How did we reach students?• What has worked…what hasn’t?• What are the evaluation findings?

Background

• Interpersonal Violence at UA• U.S. Department of Education grant– 2 year grant totaling $339,000– Goal: Reduce incidence of interpersonal violence

• When writing the grant, we knew we wanted to:– Take a broad definition of violence – Use a comprehensive strategy– Employ bystander intervention

Step Up!

• Developed by UA Athletics with NCAA• Bystander intervention program• Goals: – Raise awareness of helping behaviors– Increase motivation to help– Develop skills and confidence to respond– Ensure the safety/wellbeing of others

• 10+ topic areas

Has there ever been a time when you felt, or even knew,

something was wrong and wanted to help but didn’t?

The Premise:

Key Elements

• Creation of advisory council for feedback• VP for Student Affairs support• Continuous outreach• Asking “what’s in it for them?”

Program

Key Program Elements

Variety of educational modalities used to reach a range of learners:

– Interactive (snowball survey)–Videos–Role play/discussion (scenarios)

The Bystander EffectPhenomenon in which someone is less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when others are present than when he or she is alone.

9

The 5 Decision Making Steps

Notice the event

Interpret the event as a problem/emergency

Assume personal responsibility

Know how to help

Step Up!

10

Focus on S.E.E.

• SAFE Responding– Choose a course of action (direct or indirect)

that best ensures the safety of those involved.

• EARLY Intervention– Before it becomes a problem, crisis or disaster.

• EFFECTIVE Helping– Implement specific helping skills depending on the

situation and avoid harmful helping.

11

Perspective Taking

The ability to identify with the feelings, thoughts, and beliefs of another person.

In order to take the perspective of another person:– Imagine how the person thinks and feels.– Imagine being in the same situation.– Imagine that you are the other person.

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A unique website for University of Arizona students that provides resources so you can help your friends stay safe and healthy.

F2F.health.arizona.edu

You are at a party and notice one of your male friends talking to a young woman. They seem to be having a good time but it is clear that the woman has had too much to drink.

At one point your friend walks by you and says he is going to get her “one more” and “that should be enough.” A few minutes later you see him put his arm around the young woman and start to lead her upstairs. What do you do?

Scenario: Sexual Assault

Program Adaptability

• Trainings vs. Presentations• Modified based on time requirements• Tailored to meet the needs of audience• Population-specific scenarios

Program Outreach and Recruitment

OutreachThings that worked…

• Student Affairs networks• University Communications• Outreach at the forefront• Step Up! Day• Make-A-Movie Contest• Advisory Council for feedback• Partnerships

– UAPD co-presenting– Peer educators– Getting scenarios

beforehand• Media Campaign

Things that didn’t…

• Student group barriers• Limits to tailoring program

(faculty)• Clickers – depending on

audience• Step Up! Stories

Media

Don’t Be Shady…..Step Up!

Evaluation

Participation in Step Up!

146

364465

9441003

1102 11931248

1467

Evaluation of Step Up!

• Objectives - To provide education and bystander training to high-risk populations resulting in significant (p<.05):

– Increase in willingness to intervene– Increase in knowledge of how to report violence– Decrease in perpetrating and/or experiencing

interpersonal violence on campus by 5%

Full Trainings (90 min)

Presentations (<90 min)

Pretest

Immediate Posttest

3 month follow up

Pretest

Immediate Posttest

Sample Characteristics

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

10

28

31

31

17

31

24

23

Classall 3 month

Students Staff

84

16

89

11

Affiliationall 3 month

Pre Post 3 month

Trainings (90 min) 789 773 457

Presentations (<90min) 678 662

Total 1,467 1,435 457

Results – Changes in Knowledge, Intent and Action

Knowledge

Described BI familiar w/reporting described reporting

53

2835

82* 78*70*

76*

62* 62*

% describing bystander intervention, reporting pro-cedures, and familiar with reporting

pretest immediate post 3 month

*Significant at p < 0.000

Qualitative data

Pre-Post comparisons– More accurate information– Citing of models– Greater detail

Example:– Pretest – no response– Immediate post – “5 steps - notice, interpret, assume

responsibility, know how to help, step up”– 3 month post - “Recognize there's a problem. Do something

about it or find someone who can. Enable the victim to find help.”

Intent

% likely to intervene (report, help from a friend, try and stop it) in the following situations

bullying emo/verb abuse

hate/discrim hazing physical assault

sexual assault stalking

9084

91

77

98 99

90

100* 99* 100*

96*

100100

98*

9190**

95**

86**

98 9992

Pretest Immediate Post

3 month

* Significant at p < 0.000 ** Significant at p < 0.016

% likely to step up in all cases of violence witnessed

Pretest Posttest 3 month

62%

95%*

76%*

* P < 0.000

Experience/Action

% witnessing interpersonal violence within the last 3 months

Bullying Emo/verb abuse

Hate/discr Hazing Physical assault

Sexual assault

Stalking

21

37

13

7 8

2 4

20

29

14

7 6

2 3

Pretest 3 month

P=0.008

% Experiencing or Perpetrating interpersonal violence

pretest 3 month

28% 27%

6% decrease in interpersonal violence experienced or perpetrated overall (not significant)

% Experiencing or Perpetrating interpersonal violence

Bullying Emo/verb abuse

Hate/discr Hazing Physical assault

Sexual assault

Stalking

9

24

11

1 2 25

7

20

9

1 2 1 2

Pretest 3 month

↓ 14%

↓ 14%

↓ 28% ↓ 83%

↓ 53%

↓ 23%

% who have ever intervened in the following situations

bullying emo/verb abuse

hate/discrim hazing physical assault sexual assault stalking

5767

33

2129

14

18

57

69

43

2530

1517

Pretest 3 month

P = 0.001

What’s next?

• Step Up Live!– More dialogue, empathy building, interaction

• Be Kind, Step Up! in collaboration with Ben’s Bells

Be Kind. Step Up!