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Most people want to step in to help another person in a potentially harmful situation, whether it be a person making a friend uncomfortable at a party, or a co-worker who is being stalked, or anything in between. Being a bystander, or someone who intervenes to interrupt or prevent sexual violence or harm, can make a positive difference in the impacted person’s life. We all have a part to play in protecting the Husky Pack.
Sometimes barriers can prevent us from intervening. Barriers can be thoughts like, “Someone else will know how to help better than I can”, or “If no one else has stepped in yet, maybe nothing is wrong” or other concerns, like not knowing how to perform a specific skill, like CPR. If you’re unsure what to do, intervene at your comfort level. Start by knowing campus and community resources and sharing them broadly within your networks.
"As a bystander, you don’t have to have all the answers. You just need to take action to de-escalate the situation. The goal is to interrupt the problematic interaction while creating safety for all involved."
– Husky Prevention and Response Training
Sex- and Gender-Based Violence
Review the different types of sex- and gender-based violence.
How to Intervene as a Bystander
Remember Your Personal Safety: Your personal safety does not need to be put at risk to intervene effectively. Consider actions that fit your comfort level while still applying one of the intervention options below.
Call out the behavior as inappropriate.
Be firm, direct, and clear that the behavior is not acceptable and must stop immediately.
Reach out to another person to provide or get help.
Scan the situation to get a sense of how risky it is and how to best intervene with additional help. Decide who should do what to de-escalate the situation.
Interrupt the situation.
This distracts the attention away from the situation and can allow the person experiencing harm to move away.
Check in and offer support.
When the situation is de-escalated, let the impacted person know about campus and community resources, including SafeCampus, and the UW Tacoma Title IX Sexual Violence Confidential Advocate. You can also ask if they’d like for you to walk them to a safe place, or call a resource with them.
Responding with Care & Concern
- Validate that any response to this experience is normal. Consider validating by saying “I am so glad you shared this with me”, “I’m here to listen and support you. What ideas do you have about what you need right now?”, or “How can I help?”
- Listen empathetically. Keep your focus on them and avoid placing any blame on them.
- Connect to support. Share campus and community resources by saying, “You don’t have to face this alone, there are resources specifically for you that can provide support and help you review your options. SafeCampus is a good place to start. Would you like to call to them, or would you like me to call? Or, we can call together. You can share as much or as little information as you’d like.”
Positive Outcomes of Intervening
- Interrupting any current harm
- De-escalating a situation for all parties
- Feeling like you made a difference with your support
- Showing the impacted person that they are seen and supported
- Building awareness of sexual violence resources
- Contributing to the movement to end sexual violence
Take Care of Yourself. Sometimes responding and intervening in difficult situations can impact us as bystanders. Be sure to take care of yourself by being aware of your well-being, engage in self-care, and accessing resources if you need them.
