Third-Party Intervention to Address Gender Microaggressions Among College Students: The Role of System Justification Beliefs and Contact With Counter-Stereotypical Women

Abstract

Third-party intervention against gender-based microaggressions in the university context helps mitigate harmful effects of these experiences and creates a more supportive environment. The present study aimed to contribute to this line of research by investigating the extent to which system justification ideologies—that is, hostile and benevolent sexism and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)—and contact with counter-stereotypical women are related to third-party intervention to stop gender microaggressions, both directly and indirectly through the mediation of perceptions of microaggression severity. A sample of 428 students living in southern Italy completed a self-report questionnaire that included real-life situations with male professors and peer aggressors, and measures of the study variables. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling and multigroup analysis. Results showed that for both professor and peer aggressors, SDO was negatively associated with perceived microaggression severity and intervention, whereas benevolent sexism was associated with a greater likelihood of intervention. Perceived microaggression severity mediated the effects of hostile sexism on bystander intervention for male participants when observing professors committing microaggressions against female students. For all participants, the relationship between contact with counter-stereotypical women and intervention was mediated by perceived microaggression severity for professor aggressors. Limitations, future research, and implications for intervention are discussed.