Dozens of men failed to stop an alleged gang rape at Cornell – here’s the misperception that keeps bystanders from intervening and how to short-circuit it

People may accept bad behavior – even sexual assault – when they overestimate how acceptable their peers think it is. But there are ways to undermine this thinking and make intervention more likely.

By: Catherine A. Sanderson, Amherst College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 1, 2026

Words: 1,200

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 2 days ago

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By Catherine A. Sanderson, Amherst College

As an undergrad student decades ago, I attended a dorm presentation describing the importance of giving and receiving sexual consent. The workshop leaders explained that if your partner said “no” or “stop” but you proceeded to have sex anyway, it was considered rape.

A high-profile athlete on campus raised his hand and said, in utter disbelief, “That can’t be right. By that definition, everyone I’ve ever had sex with I’ve …

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