# Promoting prosocial bystander behavior in intoxicated men: Evaluation of RealConsent2.0

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $656,287

## Abstract

Sexual violence (SV) is a significant public health problem in the United States, particularly among 18-24 year
old (college and non-college) populations. Females 18 to 24 have the highest rate of rape and sexual assault
victimization (6.1 per 1,000 for female college students; 7.6 per 1,000 for female nonstudents) compared to
males of the same age and females of other age groups. Despite these alarming statistics, the CDC reports that
there is only one program (“RealConsent”) rigorously shown to be effective in both increasing prosocial
bystander behaviors and preventing SV perpetration among college students. Thus, there is a major gap in SV
prevention programming. Of particular importance is the fact that RealConsent and other bystander
intervention programs and their respective evaluations suffer from critical weaknesses and limitations that
reduce overall impact on SV rates. These include: (1) an overemphasis on bystander attitudes or intentions
versus actual behavior, (2) measures that rely upon self-report and are void of context when behavior is
assessed, (3) not addressing the proximal effect of alcohol on bystander decision making and behavior in
situations at-risk for SV, and (4) poor generalizability given the minimal focus on young adults who do not
attend college. Intervention research must directly address these limitations in order to close this critical gap.
The scientific premise of this proposal is that by integrating new content specific to alcohol use within the
context of SV intervention into RealConsent, we can more effectively facilitate prosocial and effective bystander
behavior – even among intoxicated bystanders. We aim to first examine the effects of proximal alcohol use on
virtual bystander behaviors and then test the efficacy of the revised RealConsent program (i.e.,
RealConsent2.0). These goals will be achieved by (1) developing new program content for RealConsent2.0 that
is informed by the integration of two theoretical perspectives – Alcohol Myopia Theory and the Bystander
Decision-Making Model, (2) implementing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in two distinct geographic
areas (the Southeast and Midwest) with a sufficiently-powered, community-based sample of N=840 young
men, (3) comparing the relative efficacy of RealConsent1.0 and 2.0 on observable bystander behavior among
intoxicated and sober bystanders in a virtual reality environment 1-month post-intervention, and (4)
comparing the efficacy of RealConsent1.0 and 2.0 on self-reported bystander behavior as a function of
proximal alcohol use and the presence of alcohol within the behavioral context at 6- and 12-months post-
intervention. The most significant contribution of the proposed project will be to provide the first evidence of
how to promote prosocial bystander behavior in men who consume alcohol and improve future development,
evaluation, and dissemination of bystander intervention programs. In doing so, this project will provide the
necessary empiri...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10480938
- **Project number:** 5R01AA027517-04
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Dominic Parrott
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $656,287
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10480938

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10480938, Promoting prosocial bystander behavior in intoxicated men: Evaluation of RealConsent2.0 (5R01AA027517-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10480938. Licensed CC0.

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