In recent years, social campaigns and high-profile cases have brought increased attention to sexual harassment and violence against women. Sports, and football in particular, have been predominantly played by men and have developed a culture of masculinity, including tolerance of sexist, aggressive and domineering language. Engaging men and boys in violence prevention is critical so that they can offer alternative role models to their peers, thereby shaping their attitudes and behaviours, including expressing masculinity in non-violent ways.

Method: We addressed the problem by empowering footballers and coaches (n=50) to intervene to reduce violence through a bystander violence prevention programme. This study evaluated the Football Onside active bystander programme at a football club in Southwest England in February-March 2019. We assessed knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of football players and coaches toward rape and violence against women as well as their bystander confidence and behaviours. The measures were taken at baseline, at post-test, and at follow-up. Fidelity was observed.

Results: Participants rated the program as feasible, and high 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 both timepoints, domestic abuse myths post-test, rape myth acceptance at follow-up, but not other outcomes. At follow-up, intervention participants reported significantly higher engagement in bystander behaviours. The results from this study advance our knowledge on violence prevention in sports through bystander intervention. Further RCT is required to examine bystander attitudes and behaviour change processes among professional athletes in the UK.

Anastasiia is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol. She is a mixed-methods researcher with an interest in health behaviour change interventions, violence prevention, GBV and the bystander effect. Anastasiia finished her PhD in Medical Studies at the University of Exeter, for which she received the International Excellence Scholarship for Postgraduate Research. Her PhD work investigated the effectiveness of violence prevention programmes, behaviour change processes, VAWG, and factors influencing bystander decision making. She was the Principal Evaluator of a feminist bystander violence prevention programme for professional athletes. Prior to PhD, Anastasiia completed an MSc in Social and Organisational Psychology at the University of Exeter, where she examined the role of bystanders in violence prevention, analysing their behaviour in CCTV clips.

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