Gun Violence Interveners: Exploring Perceptions of Impact and Reactions to Helping Behaviors in a National Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults

Bystander intervention has become a popular violence prevention strategy for various types of violence, from bullying to gun violence, but may also carry with it bystander burden. The purpose of this manuscript is to understand the impact of being a bystander (we use the term gun violence intervener) who takes action in situations of gun violence and risky gun use, both in terms of a bystander’s own reported emotional reaction and their perceptions of the impact of their actions. The current cross-sectional study used a sub-sample ( n = 2,653) of adolescents and young adults, ages 10 to 34, recruited through the AmeriSpeak panel, who reported being exposed to a gun violence incident where they tried to help. The current sample reporting these bystander experiences comprised three-quarters of the full nationally representative sample. Important contextual factors, including their relationship with the person with access to the firearm, how they found out about it, how long ago it happened, and whether anyone got hurt were explored. Nearly half of interveners felt positively about helping, and emotional benefits were associated with specific helping actions. Findings suggest tailored supports may bolster intervener resilience in gun-related situations. Better understanding the impact of trying to take helpful action will help show ways to better support gun violence interveners and ensure that intervention efforts are both encouraged, suitable and safe.