Rachel A. Fenton’s research while affiliated with University of Exeter and other places

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Publications (12)


Bystander experiences of domestic violence and abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Data

April 2024

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5 Reads

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Rachel A. Fenton

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Bryony Parry

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Bystander Intervention in Football and Sports. A Quasi-Experimental Feasibility Study of a Bystander Violence Prevention Program in the United Kingdom
  • Article
  • Full-text available

March 2024

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68 Reads

In recent years, social campaigns and high-profile cases have brought increased attention to violence against women. Athletes can be role models, shaping both prosocial and antisocial attitudes. Their engagement in violence prevention could be an effective tool to tackle violence against women through bystander intervention. This part of a mixed-method feasibility study reports on the quantitative evaluation of an evidence-led bystander program, Football Onside, implemented at a football club in South West England in June 2018 to February 2020. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with intervention and control groups. Football coaches and club members (n = 50) completed measures of rape and domestic abuse myths, bystander intent and efficacy, self-reported bystander behaviors, readiness for change, perceptions of peer helping and myth acceptance, law knowledge, and program evaluation. Fidelity was also assessed. The analysis compared between- and within-group differences in mean changes over time using mixed-effects models. Participant ratings of learning outcomes were high, and fidelity was maintained throughout the intervention. Between-group comparison revealed mixed results, with greater improvements in the intervention group for bystander intent and efficacy at post-test and follow-up, domestic abuse myths at post-test, and rape myth acceptance at follow-up. Model contrasts for within intervention group revealed improvements in rape and domestic abuse myth acceptance, bystander intent and efficacy, perceived law knowledge at both time points, and perceived peer myths and helping at post-test. At follow-up, intervention participants reported significantly higher engagement in bystander behaviors. No significant effects were found for perceived importance of legal knowledge. Our research highlights the potential efficacy of a bystander program tailored for football club members. Cluster-randomized control trials are now required to examine bystander attitudes and behavior change processes among professional athletes.

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Figure 1: Proportion of participants reporting witnessing each DVA behaviour category during the pandemic
Figure 2: Proportion of participants reporting taking each action type after witnessing DVA during the pandemic
Bystander circumstances and the proportion taking action after witnessing DVA
Proportion of bystanders who took action who reported being motivated by feeling that they possessed the skills
Bystander experiences of domestic violence and abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic

February 2024

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46 Reads

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3 Citations

Journal of Gender-Based Violence

This article seeks to understand the experiences of bystanders to domestic violence and abuse (DVA) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. Globally, professionals voiced concern over the COVID-19 restrictions exacerbating conditions for DVA to occur. Yet evidence suggests this also increased opportunities for bystanders to become aware of DVA and take action against it. This mixed methods study consists of a quantitative online survey and follow-up interviews with survey respondents. Conducted in Wales, UK, during a national lockdown in 2021, this article reports on the experiences of 186 bystanders to DVA during the pandemic. Results suggest that bystanders had increased opportunity to become aware of DVA due to the pandemic restrictions. Results support the bystander situational model whereby respondents have to become aware of the behaviour, recognise it as a problem, feel that they possess the correct skills, and have confidence in their skills, before they will take action. Having received bystander training was a significant predictor variable in bystanders taking action against DVA; this is an important finding that should be utilised to upskill general members of the community.


A Mixed Methods Study into Bystander Experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse during the COVID-19 Pandemic

October 2021

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99 Reads

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3 Citations

This research explores the experiences and behaviours of bystanders to domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help inform policy and bystander intervention training programmes in light of the changes to daily lives brought about by COVID-19 restrictions. This study, delivered in partnership with the University of Exeter, and funded by Public Health Wales, included survey and interviews with members of the public to better understand the experiences and behaviours of bystanders to domestic violence and abuse during a period of social restrictions. Whilst implemented on a small scale, this study was the first of its kind and provides new insights into bystander experiences during a global pandemic.



Feminist Activism Among Academic Staff in the Movement to Address Gender-Based Violence on Campus

October 2020

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25 Reads

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3 Citations

Three ingredients underpin feminist campaigns against violence against women in universities: research, public activism, and political lobbying. Often discussed as if they are separate activities, this chapter demonstrates that conducting research constitutes activism resulting in and/or requiring lobbying and other activist activities. The chapter analyzes qualitative data collected in a UK national multimethod study exploring barriers and facilitators to implementing the recommendations of the 2016 Universities UK report on violence against women. Interviews with academics reveal how, in becoming cognizant of the power structures within their universities, participants identified how power operated to stall or block the gender-based violence agenda and pointed to transformative measures to circumvent barriers. These measures involve the three ingredients listed here. Collective action is apparent throughout their accounts with alliances being developed with students, external partners, and key individuals, as well as committees and services within their institutions. Cumulatively, the activism of these participants can be seen as transformative.


Fig. 1 Participant flow
Changes in attitudinal scores ≥1 SD from pre-test to post-test and pre-test to four-month follow-up
From campus to communities: evaluation of the first UK-based bystander programme for the prevention of domestic violence and abuse in general communities

May 2020

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156 Reads

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22 Citations

BMC Public Health

Background: Violence against women and girls is a public health epidemic. Campus-based research has found bystander programmes show promise as effective primary prevention of sexual violence. However, evidence regarding domestic violence and abuse bystander prevention specifically, and in community settings generally, is still in development. Further, research has predominantly emanated from the US. Examining proof of concept in differing cultural contexts is required. This study evaluates the feasibility and potential for effectiveness of a domestic violence and abuse bystander intervention within UK general communities-Active Bystander Communities. Methods: Participants recruited opportunistically attended a three-session programme facilitated by experts in the field. Programme feasibility was measured using participant attendance and feedback across nine learning objectives. Myth acceptance, bystander efficacy, behavioural intent and bystander behaviours were assessed using validated scales at baseline, post-intervention, and four-month follow-up. Results were examined for potential backlash. Analyses used a paired sample t-test and effect size was quantified with Cohen's d. Results: 58/70 participants attended all programme sessions. Participant feedback consistently rated the programme highly and significant change (p ≤ 0·001) was observed in the desired direction across behavioural intent, bystander efficacy, and myth acceptance scores at post and follow-up. Effect size was generally large and, with the exception of Perception of Peer Myth Acceptance, improved at follow-up. Backlash was minimal. Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first UK-based study to examine the potential of bystander intervention as a community-level intervention for domestic violence and abuse. Findings are promising and indicate the translatability of the bystander approach to domestic violence and abuse prevention as well as community contexts. This is likely to be of great interest to policymakers and may help shape future community-based interventions. Further research is now needed using experimental designs engaging diverse community audiences.


Overview and Analysis of Research Studies on Gender-based Violence Among UK University Students and Staff

January 2020

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57 Reads

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5 Citations

There is an international body of evidence indicating that universities are significant sites for GBV (DeGue, 2014). Understanding the prevalence, characteristics, and impacts of GBV among university students and staff is essential for universities to effectively prevent and combat it. In the UK, a limited number of studies have started to address this gap (e.g. NUS, 2011) but they have not been been reviewed and synthesised to create an overall picture of what is known and not known about GBV. The overarching aim of this study was to undertake a systematic review of research on GBV among UK university students and staff to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current state of knowledge and emerging findings, as well as to make recommendations for future research. Studies were identified through: 1) systematic searches of International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), PsychInfo, EmBase and ISI Web of Knowledge and 2) contact with university networks and stakeholders. A total of 1,328 studies were identified. After screening, 15 studies were included in the review. None of the studies reviewed looked at GBV among staff. The focus of studies was student victimisation experiences of sexual violence (13 of 15 studies) and domestic abuse (3 of 15 studies). Findings suggest sexual harassment appears to be the most prevalent among university students followed by sexual assault and domestic abuse. Most studies (11 of 14) collected biographical information needed to understand how the intersections of gender with other social positions influenced victimisation, with findings suggesting there is a higher prevalence among marginalised groups. There was a lack of consistency in how sexual violence and domestic abuse were measured, which contributed to large variations in prevalence. Implications for findings and recommendations for future research on GBV among university staff and students are provided.


Gender-based Violence Among UK University Students and Staff: A Socio-Ecological Framework.

January 2020

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24 Reads

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4 Citations

Theories have been used to explain gender-based violence (GBV) in U.S. universities (e.g. Gervais, DiLillo and McChargue, 2014; Tewksbury and Mustaine's, 2001) but they have limited utility in UK universities, as the history, composition, geography, and culture of UK universities differs (Phipps and Smith, 2012; Stenning et al., 2012). Due to these differences, a theoretical framework relevant to UK universities is needed that can guide studies and contextualise findings. As a starting point, this working paper adapted Hagemann-White et al.’s (2010) framework, which was developed for the European Union (EU). To date, this framework is the most researched, demonstrated and wholistic model for the EU. The framework used an ecological model to identify and categorise factors facilitating and scaffolding GBV, including policies, sanctions, redress and implementation of laws, to provide nation states with a framework to guide developing and implementing policies that would more effectively prevent and combat GBV. This working paper aimed to tailor Hagemann-White et al.’s model to UK universities, using a more sophisticated understanding of intersectional (dis)advantage (such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, class, age), men and masculinities, peer-group support for violence, environmental time-space and power relations, and legal duties in prevention and response.


The challenges of developing and implementing a bystander intervention for the prevention of DVA in communities

June 2019

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4 Reads

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3 Citations

Journal of Gender-Based Violence

Bystander intervention is showing promise as a strategy for violence reduction. Following successful preliminary evaluation of The Intervention Initiative (TII), a bystander programme for universities, a Public Health department in a local authority commissioned a DVA-specific version of TII for communities which became Active Bystander Communities (ABC). This paper documents, in narrative and reflexive form, the challenges and complexities faced by the research team and practitioners in translating TII into a new context for a new audience. We review findings from research, document the theoretical rationale underpinning the new programme, and its content and adherence to effective prevention criteria. We discuss the community readiness model and results of our engagement with a wider practitioner base and how feedback informed further programme development. We document the importance of the intersect and interplay of academic work with practitioner ‘real world’ realities. We discuss two fundamental theoretical issues: the meaning of ‘communities’ in this context, and the safety of interventions expressing social disapproval of problematic male behaviour to perpetrators designed to shift social norms. Government cuts have affected the structures and the staffing required to pilot the intervention in communities. Further research into effectiveness of the intervention and barriers to implementation is needed.


Citations (8)


... Previous studies suggest that intervention in IPV is driven by bystanders' concern for the victim (Casper et al., 2021;Walker et al., 2021). Survey research among intervening bystanders indicates that they felt responsible, recognized the behavior as problematic, and empathized with the victim (Walker et al., 2021). ...

Reference:

Why Do Bystanders Report Intimate Partner Violence? Insights into Real-Life Reasoning from Those Who Actually Intervened
Bystander experiences of domestic violence and abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic

Journal of Gender-Based Violence

... University-based sexual aggression is a global public health issue associated with negative physical, psychological, and academic outcomes (Jones et al., 2020;Molstad et al., 2021). Conceptualized as a form of gender-based violence (GBV), university-based sexually aggressive offences span a spectrum of non-consensual sexual activities that predominantly target female students (Fedina et al., 2018). ...

Overview and Analysis of Research Studies on Gender-based Violence Among UK University Students and Staff
  • Citing Research
  • January 2020

... Workplace GBV in higher education institution (HEI) setting is an alarming and serious concern [13]. As a result of working in less safe environments and male dominated institutions, female staff are at high risk of workplace GBV [14]. However, the risk factors of workplace GBV are multi-dimensional, that interplay of social, economic, cultural, political, and religious dimensions either for being victim and/or perpetrator. ...

Gender-based Violence Among UK University Students and Staff: A Socio-Ecological Framework.
  • Citing Research
  • January 2020

... Furthermore, perceiving and understanding violence as a continuum enables us to see less severe acts of violence alongside and in relation to more severe forms of violence (Kelly, 1988). Successful prevention programmes have been found to be related to both organisational factors, such as support from the management, enough resources for training and supervision, and the theoretical framework and content (Fenton et al, 2016(Fenton et al, , 2019Flood, 2019). ...

The challenges of developing and implementing a bystander intervention for the prevention of DVA in communities
  • Citing Article
  • June 2019

Journal of Gender-Based Violence

... All the website visits for Phase Two were generated by men; this is a positive finding as prior campaigns have struggled to engage men (Walker et al., 2022;Gunstone & Fowler, 2017). Engaging men in violence prevention campaigns, particularly conversations around violence against women, is essential to initiating a cultural shift in attitudes towards women (Walker et al., 2021). ...

A Mixed Methods Study into Bystander Experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse during the COVID-19 Pandemic

... However, working together, staff and students achieved changes to the Code of Student Conduct, improved support information for survivors, developed peer-led workshops and created a toolkit for university staff training. This approach demonstrates that lobbying through strong collective action and alliances are crucial to persuade institutions to commit to real cultural change and provide resources to do this (* Burman et al., 2020;Donovan et al., 2020). Such an approach indicates that a mutually beneficial outcome can be achieved through sexual violence activists promoting their universities as being proactive in their approach, rather than reactive. ...

Feminist Activism Among Academic Staff in the Movement to Address Gender-Based Violence on Campus
  • Citing Chapter
  • October 2020

... Importantly, however, access to such programs tends to be limited to students within educational institutions (Bovill & White, 2022;Edwards et al., 2019;Fenton & Mott, 2018;Storer et al., 2016). Although program offerings within the broader community have increased in recent years (Burnham et al., 2022;Gainsbury et al., 2020;Fenton et al., 2019;Rizzo et al., 2022), most members of the general public will not have access to such training, and must rely on information they can access themselves. It is therefore critical that we move beyond analyses of formal bystander training programs and develop a clear understanding of what easily-accessible information governments and prominent community organizations are providing for community members regarding bystander intervention in domestic violence. ...

From campus to communities: evaluation of the first UK-based bystander programme for the prevention of domestic violence and abuse in general communities

BMC Public Health

... After the publication of preliminary OSB findings, it became clear that challenges associated with RASSO, paired with resistance to change how RASSO is investigated in the first place, have hindered public trust in the police and highlighted some of the systemic, legal, and socio-cultural failures of contemporary policing (Angiolini, 2024). Rumney et al. (2019) suggested that equipping police forces with specialist-trained officers and specialist units could positively impact prosecution rates, lower victim attrition for rape cases, and improve, as a result, public support. In line with this, Williams et al. (2022) have stressed the need to enhance learning material around rape investigations and postulated that a lack of access to adequate RASSO training can hinder officers' workplace well-being and satisfaction. ...

A police specialist rape investigation unit: a comparative analysis of performance and victim care