Bystander Intervention & LGBTQ+ Sexual Violence: Findings from two Exploratory Surveys with NSW-Based LGBTQ+ Communities

Bystander intervention has rapidly emerged as a strategy for preventing sexual violence. Yet, few studies have considered LGBTQ+ victim-survivor's experiences of bystander intervention, or LGBTQ+ community members bystander intentions and behaviours. This article presents findings from two exploratory surveys with LGBTQ+ victim-survivors of sexual violence and general community members based in NSW, Australia. Findings suggest that experiencing bystander intervention was not common for victim-survivors, and that sexuality did not significantly influence participants' bystander intentions or behaviours, though being a victim-survivor of sexual violence did. We consider the implications of these findings for bystander intervention training and future research.