Positive bystander intervention training for allies to gender minorities

Positive psychology seeks to improve wellbeing beyond the absence of distress, but interventions often do not address social environmental causes. Since belonging is a protective factor against mental health challenges, gender minorities’ (trans, non-binary, etc.) wellbeing would benefit from allies actively working to increase environmental belonging for the community. However, some potential allies do not know how or are afraid to act. To address a gap in research in training allies to increase environmental belonging, this study tested a positive bystander intervention training. All participants (N = 109) first viewed a positive bystander training. Participants were then presented with an example scenario in one of three conditions: 1) a trans woman with an empathic joy question, 2 a trans woman with a control question, and 3) a disabled woman with a control question. At both time points all participants wrote a response to scenarios about gender minorities and rated their bystander self-efficacy. There was an interaction between condition and Time 1 and Time 2 self-efficacy: participants in the disabled control condition had higher self-efficacy at Time 2, but there were no other significant differences. It is possible this positive bystander training is more effective at increasing bystander self-efficacy for allies to people with disabilities than gender minorities. Written responses were coded for themes. Themes included 1) connecting people to appropriate resources, 2) conversation, and 3) not emphasizing gender identity. Future research can create a more neutral control question and explore intersections with other identities (e.g., race).