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A new academic study has categorized bystander behaviors in workplace sexual harassment cases into three distinct profiles, offering potential guidance for prevention programs and intervention training.
The research, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, was co-written by YoungAh Park, Professor of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Yijue Liang of George Mason University.
"Our research reframes how we think about bystander responses by showing that employees often use multiple tactics simultaneously, and their choices are shaped by both individual emotions and organizational culture," Park said.
Rather than simply assessing whether bystanders acted, the researchers analyzed data from three survey studies to determine how intervention behaviors combine. Using latent profile analysis, they identified clusters of behaviors that naturally occur together.
Three bystander profiles emerge
A new scale measuring five behaviors - “confronting,” “distracting,” “supporting,” “reporting” and “discussing” - was developed and validated. From this, three profiles emerged: “active intervention,” “low-risk intervention” and “no/limited intervention.”
"We now have evidence that people don't fall into a single 'bystander' mold," Liang said. "When we studied how bystanders intervene when they witness or hear about a sexual harassment incident, they would actually combine multiple behaviors. Understanding these patterns can help us intervene more precisely and ultimately reduce harm in our workplaces."
The research found that anger was linked to more active intervention, while empathy was tied to low-risk supportive behaviors. Organizational intolerance of harassment and positive expectations of employee impact increased active interventions.
"Social norms play a huge role in whether someone decides to step in," Liang said. "That means changing the culture of a workplace is just as important as building skills among employees."
Implications for training programs
Active intervention prompted greater gratitude from victims and positive responses from colleagues.
"One way to encourage people to intervene in an active way is for the organization to establish a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment," Liang said.
Low-risk interventions carried fewer risks but still supported victims, while no intervention was associated with guilt and fewer positive outcomes.
"When the aggression from the harasser is high and then someone intervenes, it prompts the highest gratitude from the victim… we also need to acknowledge that it's the riskiest intervention strategy," Liang said.
"Traditional one-size-fits-all intervention programs may overlook the real psychological diversity among bystanders," Liang added.
Park said, "Bystander intervention is one of the most promising tools we have for workplace sexual harassment prevention… We hope this research helps employers design smarter programs."
"Most bystanders want to do the right thing," Liang said. "We just have to make it easier, safer and more socially acceptable for them to do so."
