Feminist Routine Activities Theory and Bystander Intervention: An Examination of Victimization of College Students

• In Event: Intervening Against Crime on Campus. How Bystanders and Opportunities Shape Responses

Abstract

Routine Activities Theory (RAT) is one of the most widely used theories to explain victimization. While RAT has been used to explain violence against women, the feminist perspective of RAT developed by Schwartz and Pitts (1995) provides a better explanation by incorporating cultural factors that affect the three components necessary for crime. Schwartz and Pitts (1995) acknowledge that the capable guardianship proposed by Cohen and Felson (1979) may not exist as a protective factor for violence against women. Developed independently of RAT research, bystander intervention research has studied in more detail under what conditions bystanders will act as a capable guardian and intervene. This study integrates bystander intervention literature with feminist RAT in order to study capable guardianship. College students were surveyed about different types of violence against women and when they would intervene. Results from this study can guide prevention efforts on college campuses.

Author

• Jennifer Leili, University of South Florida