Session: Longitudinal Social Ecological Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Sexual Violence Perpetration and Bystander Behavior throughout Adolescence and Early Adulthood (Society for Prevention Research 27th Annual Meeting)

SESSION INTRODUCTION: Sexual violence (SV) is a serious public health issue that includes behaviors ranging from sexual comments to penetrative rape. Because SV perpetration may occur as early as primary school, prevention hinges on understanding relevant developmental trajectories and contexts in which it occurs. This symposium will present three papers that examine longitudinal risk and protective factors associated with SV perpetration and bystander behavior across adolescence and into early adulthood. Aligned with the conference theme “Advances in Prevention Research: Epidemiology and Etiology,” each paper presents a longitudinal analysis of risk and/or protective factors relevant to SV perpetration or bystander behavior in academic settings.

The first paper, “The role of middle school sports involvement in understanding high school sexual violence perpetration,” examines the longitudinal association between middle-school sport involvement and high school SV perpetration. Sports were divided into four categories based on level of contact. A series of logistic regression models examined the full sample and stratified by biological sex, predicting the odds of engaging in SV in high school. Results point to a significant association between involvement in contact sports and SV, and underscore the need for early, comprehensive prevention efforts involving coaches and other sports personnel.

The second paper, “Traditional and cyber bullying and sexual harassment: A longitudinal assessment of risk and protective factors,” used latent class analysis to identify the overlap between in-person and cyber bullying and sexual harassment behaviors among high school students. Findings reveal four distinct perpetration groups, and that students who engaged in both in-person and cyber bullying and sexual harassment generally had higher risk factor endorsement and lower protective factor endorsement in middle school. Prevention efforts should consider addressing both forms of aggression within traditional and online contexts starting early in adolescence.

The third paper, “Predicting Bystander Behavior Among Collegiate Student-Athletes: What factors Influence Positive and Negative Bystander Intervention” examines both individual and contextual predictors of bystander behavior. Results will inform bystander prevention programming for student-athletes, a potentially influential group on college campuses.

To conclude the session, a prominent researcher in the field will offer summarizing remarks and moderate a discussion among presenters and attendees. This symposium is ostensibly relevant to many attendees and may garner heightened interest in the wake of current media attention surrounding the issue of SV. We are therefore optimistic that this symposium will be of interest to a wide audience and facilitate discussions that translate to improved prevention programming and policy.