The Role of Alcohol Consumption Patterns and Pro-Social Bystander Interventions in Contexts of Gender Violence

Studies have shown that people differ in their likelihood of intervening as a bystander in situations of violence, but it is unclear how these actions relate to the use of alcohol. Two studies (N = 1,525) examined the relationship between alcohol use and pro-social bystander interventions in situations of physical and sexual coercion. Studies 1 and 2 provided cross-sectional evidence that alcohol use, along with alcohol expectancies, predicted patterns of bystander interventions, depending on gender. Discussion centers on the importance of including alcohol as another facet in understanding the role of pro-social bystander interventions.