Domestic Violence Myths and Gender: The Cumulative Effect on Bystander Intervention for an Intimate Partner Violence Victim

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) impacts thousands of women across the United States each year. This study examines the effect of IPV myth belief on bystander willingness to call for police intervention for an IPV assault. I propose that bystanders who believe in IPV myths are less likely to call for police assistance for a victim experiencing a physical assault by an intimate partner. Data were collected from 708 students enrolled at a Midwest public university during the 2015 spring semester. I use Ordinal Least Squares (OLS) regression to examine the relationship between bystander willingness to call police, IPV myths, gender, and racial / ethnic identity for the full sample. I also examine gender-specific models. Results indicate that belief in IPV myths reduce bystander willingness to call police for IPV assaults. Additionally, Black respondents are less willing to call police compared to White respondents. The independent variable effects operate differently for Male and Female respondents. Overall, this study suggests that belief in IPV myths reduces bystander willingness to intervene by calling police for a victim during an IPV assault. University educators should consider how to counteract these beliefs through curriculum that educates students about the realities of IPV victimization.

Author

• Molly Hartsough, The University of Akron