Bystander Activation Intervention to Address Gender-Based Harassment

NIH RePORTER · VA · I21 · · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Project Background: Harassment is a recognized problem in VA facilities. Recent national studies of women Veterans receiving Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health services found that 25% reported experiencing harassment at the VA in the past year. Most often, these incidents involved sexual harassment (e.g., catcalls, being stared at/watched, or sexual/derogatory comments) or sexist harassment (e.g., someone questioning their identity as a Veteran or their right to care). Women Veterans who experience harassment are significantly more likely to feel unsafe and unwelcome at the VA; and to delay or underutilize care, which may place them at risk for poorer health outcomes. Significance/Impact: Harassment has the potential to negatively impact the dignity, privacy, sense of security, safety, and health of women Veterans. Recognizing this, VA has launched several initiatives: Women’s Health Services’ “End Harassment” campaign and, most recently, VHA Executive in Charge, Dr. Stone’s “Stand Up to Harassment Now!” campaign. However, to date, there are no evidence-based interventions to address harassment of service users in healthcare setting such as the VA. The current study attempts to expand the VA’s efforts to address harassment by developing and evaluating a bystander activation intervention that can be used to increase awareness of gender-based harassment (GBH) and confidence in and willingness to help/intervene among a range of individuals within the system (e.g. Veterans, VA staff and leadership). By addressing harassment and the discomfort it creates, this intervention may reduce disparities in access to and the quality of care of women Veterans. Innovation: The lack of evidence-based interventions to address harassment in healthcare settings represents a significant gap in VHA’s ability to provide high-quality, gender-sensitive, comprehensive health care to women Veterans. The project attempts to address this gap by actively partnering and collaborating with Veterans and other stakeholders to develop and evaluate a novel, Veteran-informed bystander harassment intervention that, if effective, has the potential to make VA settings more comfortable, safe and welcoming for women Veterans. Specific Aims: The specific aims of this study are 1) to develop a Veteran-informed harassment bystander activation intervention. 2) to conduct a pilot trial to examine the feasibility, acceptability, potential efficacy, and information regarding implementation of the intervention with Veterans and VA staff. Methodology: We will create a bystander activation harassment intervention using participatory action research (PAR) methods. First, 20 women who have experienced harassment and are receiving services at the VAMHCS will develop photonarratives using Photovoice PAR methods that convey experiences of harassment at VA and its impacts. We will also conduct focus groups with male Veterans, female Veterans, and VA staff to inform the adaptation of existing by...

Key facts

NIH application ID
10066098
Project number
1I21HX003187-01
Recipient
BALTIMORE VA MEDICAL CENTER
Principal Investigator
AMY L DRAPALSKI
Activity code
I21
Funding institute
VA
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
Award type
1
Project period
2020-12-01 → 2022-11-30