1. Educate yourself on the signs and cues you
might notice as a bystander that could cue you to
a potential sexual assault. Examples: isolating
someone, using alcohol to incapacitate, ignoring
limits and boundaries, direct pre-party planning
and targeting.Trust your gut. If something looks
like it might not be a good situation, it probably
isn’t.
Consider barriers that might stop you from
intervening (such as fear, don't want to make a
scene, concern of peer response, possible
embarrassment). Given your barriers, consider
REALISTIC alternatives that could work for you
by remembering the 3 D's: DIRECT - "Are you
okay?" - "I think she wants you to back off." -
"I'm worried about what's happening here."
DELEGATE - ask your extroverted best friend
to step in, talk to a supervisor, give an
anonymous note to a trusted professor, engage a
bartender, party host, law enforcement officer or
faith leader, etc. DISTRACT - "Let's get out of
here and get some food." - "Hey man, your car
is getting towed." - "Check out this video." -
"I'm feeling sick, can you come with me to the
bathroom?"
Check in if you are concerned about someone.
Learn about the resources in your community for
victims of violence so you know how to help
someone if they get hurt.
Plan ahead: If you and your friends or
colleagues are going out for the night, make a
plan so everyone gets back home safely, then
follow through with it.
Stop it before it happens! Communicate
clear norms in your daily life: (1)Violence
won't be tolerated, and (2)We are all
committed to looking out for each other.
—Post a cool bystander video on your
Facebook feed —"Like" and share posts that
highlight the role we can all play —Strike up a
conversation with friends, family members,
classmates and colleagues about the impor-
tance of this issue to you —Get your student
organization or workplace involved in
bystander training, awareness events and
visible support of violence prevention —Write
letters to the editor about the importance of
this issue —Tweet, Instagram,Vine…find
creative ways to use media to model, endorse
and support bystander intervention and the
importance of getting involved —Create a
hashtag to post stories of intervention
88
developed by Green Dot etc., Inc. 2014
8
Supervisors: Incorporate prevention efforts
into the strategic plan of your organization.
Learn about the best evidence-based strategies to
prevent interpersonal violence and allocate
funding to support staff and programs which
address the issue. Regularly include messages of
commitment to prevention in talking points to
your Board ofTrustees, staff, press and work
force. Include similar messages in publications,
on your website, in your signage, in your offices
and in common meeting spaces.
Go above the minimum standards. When
developing, funding, and implementing your
violence prevention initiatives, make reducing
violence your goal instead meeting mandates.
Wear an “end violence” button on your
backpack, briefcase or purse - or an anti-vio-
lence t-shirt and get your “elevator speech”
ready. Be ready with a quick statement about
why ending violence is important to you when
someone asks you about your shirt/button.
Faculty/Teachers: Because rates of
interpersonal violence are so high in
our educational institutions - Include a
statement of support for victims and commit-
ment to prevention on your syllabus. Have
bystander tips rotating on your Powerpoint
before class starts. Invite resource centers to
spend a few minutes in class to talk about
resources and efforts. Create assignments for
your students which help them think about
their roles as bystanders and encourage them
to act.
Community or School-based Coaches:
Send your team to training on these issues at least
once a year. Hang posters with bystander ideas
for team members in the gym and workout
facilities. Develop a team safety message as a
part of the team goals stressing the importance
that team members look out for each other on
AND off the field.
Every day, every one of us is a
bystander to the reality that too
many people are experiencing
violence in our communities. No
matter your position - consider
the daily actions you can take
within your sphere of influence
to reduce violence in the moment
and contribute to a cultural shift
that is intolerant of any form of
violence.