This article examines how video games may influence college student views of sexual violence, and the willingness and perceived ability to intercede as a bystander.
Sexual assault is the most common violent crime that occurs on college campuses today. Using NIJ grant funds, researchers at the University of New Hampshire developed and pilot tested video games to inform college students how to identify and intervene in situations where sexual violence is happening or has the potential to occur. This article examines how the video games influenced the study participants' views of sexual violence and their willingness and perceived ability to intercede as a bystander. The research yielded mixed results. The research team tested the effect of the separate trivia and adventure video games on female and male student volunteers and found that few significant positive impacts from playing the games were sustained over time on a number of key measures.