Bystander training to prevent gender-based violence against female university students: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE

To map the characteristics of bystander training to prevent gender-based violence against female students in a university context.

METHOD: Scoping review using the JBI method. The search was conducted in March 2025 in MEDLINE/PubMed, WoS, BVS, EBSCO, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycInfo/APA, and SciELO, regardless of language, with a time frame of 2016. The selection and extraction were double-independent, with descriptive analysis of the characterization and inductive approach to the content of the training.

RESULTS

Nine types of training were identified in 46 included studies that aimed to prevent sexual violence using a mixed-gender approach. The training content was categorized into: definitions, concepts, and epidemiology of violence; rape myths and gender stereotypes; consent and healthy communication; attitudes, behaviors, and interventions of bystanders; available resources and services; values, awareness, and personal ethics; risks, barriers, and obstacles to intervention.

CONCLUSION

The gap lies in the thematic concentration of studies, focused on sexual violence, with limited exploration of risks, barriers to intervention, and institutional resources in the content of the strategies.