| Description |
This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of the United States Air Force (USAF) sexual assault prevention program (SAPP) compared to that same program with an additional motivational interviewing (MI) component designed to increase participants' motivation to change. Participants were college students, and the study took place on a university campus, not on a military base. Fifty-one participants were randomly assigned to either the standard condition (n=25) or the PLUS condition (n=26). Primary outcome measures included the Bystander Efficacy Scale (BES), the Bystander Attitudes Scale Revised (BAS-R), and the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMAS). Participants assigned to the standard condition showed minor improvements in some outcome areas; however, none was statistically significant. Participants assigned to the MI enhanced condition showed statistically significant increases in two key measures: willingness to intervene as a bystander and overall increases in prosocial bystander attitudes regarding sexual assault. This study indicates that the standard USAF SAPP program may not be effective in combatting sexual assault. More importantly, results indicate that the addition of a MI component may hold promise for assisting in the goal of reducing sexual assault in the USAF. Future studies might be conducted with active duty participants on a military installation. |
