Using a Multiphase Mixed Methods Triangulation Design to Measure Bystander Intervention Components and Dose of Violence Prevention Programs on College Campuses

As mandated by the 2013 Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, bystander programs to reduce sexual and intimate partner violence are being adopted in college communities throughout the United States. However, little is currently known about how bystander programs are selected, implemented and experienced by staff and students. In the Multi-College Bystander Efficacy Evaluation (mcBEE) project, we seek to evaluate the relative efficacy of bystander programs at multiple college campuses. In this paper, we describe our mixed methods strategies as a critical first step in achieving our overall goal. We are employing a multi-phase mixed methods triangulation design to gather qualitative and quantitative data on bystander programming and intervention components at 24 college campuses. Specific methods include website reviews of campus programming and staff (Phase 1), web-based key informant surveys (Phase 2), and key informant interviews (Phase 3) over the four-year study period. To date, Phase 1 of data collection is complete and Phases 2 and 3 are ongoing. Survey and key informant interview data will shed light on campus decision-making processes for the adoption of bystander programs and provide program implementation, dose, and fidelity data over time. Data from each phase is being integrated to determine specific bystander intervention components at each campus that will inform analyses measuring relative program efficacy. This paper outlines the protocol and methods for a large-scale evaluation of college-based bystander program efficacy using a multi-phase mixed methods design with multiple forms of data triangulation.