Victim/offender characteristics and the likelihood of third party involvement

• In Event: Examining Perceptions and Depictions of Violence

Abstract

Recent concern over intimate partner violence has led to programs focused on encouraging bystander intervention. However, the focus has primarily been on violence of men against women. Violence by women is seen as trivial, and violence between men, at least in some contexts, is normalized. This paper looks at the role of victim and offender gender on the response of third party observers. Participants read a vignette where one person hits the other. The gender of the victim and offender was varied. Participants were significantly more likely to call the police when the offender was male and the victim was female.

Authors

• Susannah Naomi Tapp, Georgia State University

• Brian Payne, Old Dominion University

• Ruth Triplett, Old Dominion University

• Victoria E. Collins, Eastern Kentucky University