Progressive Moral Foundations and Empathic Concern: Facilitators of Sexual Assault Bystander Intervention

08/10/2025

Psychol Violence. 2025 Jan;15(1):121-132. doi: 10.1037/vio0000536. Epub 2024 Aug 22.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Many universities utilize bystander intervention training to address high rates of sexual assault on college campuses. To that end, research has long sought to characterize common barriers to bystander intervention to inform future programming efforts. However, recent efforts have also noted the importance of understanding intervention facilitators, or factors that encourage someone to help in risk situations. For example, a moral obligation to “step in” has been highlighted as a potential facilitator among college students who have intervened in sexual risk situations. Higher levels of empathy are also noted as encouraging prosocial intervention behaviors. Yet, what remains to be examined is the possibility that a greater combination of progressive moral foundations and empathic concern may favorably impact perceptions of barriers and behaviors as related to sexual assault bystander intervention.

METHOD: The current study tested this hypothesis in a sample of 1,144 undergraduate students who completed self-report assessments related to moral foundations, empathy, and perceptions of barriers and proactive behaviors in light of sexual assault risk.

RESULTS: A series of moderation analyses revealed those who endorsed a greater combination of progressive moral foundations and empathic concern reported less perceived barriers and increased engagement in sexual assault bystander intervention behaviors. By contrast, those with lower empathy reported greater barriers and less intervention behaviors even in the presence of progressive moral foundations.

CONCLUSIONS: Should these virtues be modifiable as research suggests, activities enhancing progressive moral foundations and empathic concern may be important additions to bystander intervention programming on college campuses.

PMID:41058919 | PMC:PMC12499856 | DOI:10.1037/vio0000536

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