Call for Abstracts: Innovations in Bystander Intervention
Special Issue of the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma
The Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma is inviting abstracts for a special issue on innovations in bystander intervention to strengthen violence prevention efforts. VPC’s own Dr. Annelise Mennicke and Dr. Erika Montanaro are co-guest editing alongside colleagues from Rutgers University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Why This Issue Matters
Bystander intervention programming has been a cornerstone of sexual assault and violence prevention for decades, but enthusiasm has cooled as evidence of its ability to shift community-level behavior and reduce violence has stayed limited. Researchers point to a mix of possible reasons: measurement challenges, theory that hasn’t kept pace, not enough attention to power and identity, and a tendency to focus on risk rather than strengths.
This special issue is a chance to push the field forward. The editors are looking for work that reimagines bystander intervention through a strengths-based lens, accounts for relationships and context, considers the burden placed on bystanders, and explores how technology can support people in the moment they’re needed most.
Topics of Interest
The editors welcome submissions on a range of topics, including:
- Methodological innovations within bystander intervention
- Theoretically-informed applications of bystander intervention to different forms of harm
- Relational and socioecological approaches to bystander intervention
- Integration of strengths and resilience into bystander intervention
- Mitigation of harms or potential harms of bystander interventions for vulnerable populations, groups, and communities
- Integration of technology to support bystander action
This issue is meant to serve a broad audience: academics, practitioners, researchers, prevention specialists, and policymakers alike.
How to Submit
Interested contributors should send a detailed summary (250 to 500 words) outlining the topic, the novel contribution, the type of paper (conceptual or empirical), the proposed methods, and anticipated results or implications. Submitting an abstract represents a commitment to prepare a full paper if selected.
Send abstracts to: Dr. Annelise Mennicke CC: journals@ivatcenters.org on all correspondence
Key Dates
- October 1, 2026: Abstracts due
- November 1, 2026: Invitations to submit full manuscripts announced
- February 1, 2027: Full manuscripts due via the Taylor & Francis Submission Portal
Authors should follow the journal’s Instructions for Authors, including APA 7th edition formatting. All submissions undergo double-anonymous peer review. Be sure to select the special issue title when submitting through the portal.
Questions can be directed to the guest editors at amennick@charlotte.edu.
WAMT Call for Papers