A Model of Bystander Intervention

Bystander InterventionDr. Curt BrungardtJanna Wilkinson Kaitlyn DingesFort Hays State UniversityOctober 7, 2015

What is The Red Flag Campaign?Public awareness campaign designed to address dating violence and promote its prevention on college campuses

Urges people to say something when they see warning signs or red flags in a relationship

Dating Violence Statistics21% of college students report having experienced dating violence by a current partner (charlesullman.com/nc-family-law-resources/resources-for-domestic-violence-for-students/statistics/)58% of rape victims report being raped between the ages of 12-24 (http://www.clotheslineproject.org/teendatingviolencefacts.pdf)Nearly 20% of college women will be victims of sexual assault, as will about 6% of undergraduatemen. (Love is respect.Org, 2011)1 in 6 women will be victims of stalking, as will 1 in 19 men. (domesticshelters.org)

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Peer Leadership Model (MVP; Katz, 1992)Three primary prevention goals:

To increase awareness of relationship abuseTo challenge stereotypes in social settings about gender/sex and relationships, and how these messages play into violence and bullyingTo inspire leadership by building intervention skills to effect social norm change

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https://youtu.be/vIcRxLpyLus

Published on Sep 16, 2014The Gold ADDY winning PSA for the One Love Foundation.

Video Length = 1:08

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Bystander InterventionBystander someone who is present in a situation and they choose not to react or get involved (passive)

Bystander Effect when people are in the presence of others, they are less likely to offer help than when they are alone

Active Bystander - people who are aware of an abusive situation, and choose to speak up and say or do something without putting their own safety at risk

Bystanders are the individuals who witness emergencies, criminal events, or situations that could lead to criminal activity or harm to another. They may have the opportunity to provide assistance, do nothing, or contribute to negative behavior.

Bystander Effect - before a bystander is likely to take action, they must define the event as an emergency and decide that intervention is the proper course of action. While making these decisions the bystander may become influenced by the decisions they perceive other bystanders to be taking. If each one of the other bystanders seems to regard the event as non-serious, it changes and affects the perceptions of any single individual and inhibits potential helping behavior!

Active Bystanders, the largest group involved in violence, who greatly outnumber both perpetrators and victims have the power to stop abuse and to get help for people who have been victimized. Active bystanders are people who are aware of an abusive situation, and choose to speak up and say or do something without putting their own safety at risk.

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To start, ask yourself these questions:

Have I been a passive bystander before?What bothered me about the situation?What kept me from taking action?How did I feel afterwards?

We all have the ability to act before someone else gets hurt. The more we understand how to identify and safely intervene in abusive situations, and the more we know how to recognize and respond to the behaviors that contribute to domestic violence, the less afraid or anxious we'll feel, and the more effective we'll be in taking action to help create safe, violence-free communities.

Create a system that supports you in taking action for when you are faced with a situation where you feel like you should get involved. There is no "right way" to intervene find ways to intervene that are comfortable and safe for you.7

https://youtu.be/nI8saCEjTwg

Bystander Intervention University of Texas

https://youtu.be/nI8saCEjTwg

Video Length 1:288

Barriers to Being an Active BystanderSocial InfluenceSocial Pressures/Fear of EmbarrassmentDiffusion of ResponsibilityFear of RetaliationGroup Ignorance

Social Influence If bystanders do not see other people getting involved, then they may convince themselves that there is no need to step in. "Maybe it's not so bad after all."Social Pressures/Fear of Embarrassment Bystanders may not get involved because they do not want to call negative attention to themselves or to the victim. "If I get involved, it will only make this worse for myself and for the victim."Diffusion of Responsibility Bystanders become less likely to get involved as the amount of people present increases because they feel as though "someone else" will take care of the problem. "I'll let someone more qualified or capable handle this."Fear of Retaliation Bystanders' legitimate fears of physical or emotional harm or of negative reactions and comments from others may stop them from intervening. "Don't come for me next!"Pluralistic Ignorance Bystanders may believe that they're the only ones who think a situation warrants intervention, even if, in reality, most bystanders in the situation are concerned and want to act. If no one is actually taking action, then bystanders may incorrectly believe that they are the minority and will defer to what they misperceive as being the majority view. "Majority rules the best way to handle this situation is to do nothing and say nothing."

These are all valid and understandable emotional and psychological reactions that make it difficult to intervene, and we must give ourselves the space to address our own personal challenges and barriers around being an active bystander.9

Be An Active Bystander PreventionEducate yourself about healthy relationships and warning signs of abuseEducate yourself about Gender EqualityTalk to your friends healthy relationships and the dangers of abuseBe supportive and patient of a friend in an abusive relationshipHost an event at your school or in your community that raises awareness about dating violence

Speak up if you hear your friends using language or telling jokes that are demeaning toward women or men or that promote violence.Educate yourself about healthy relationships and the warning signs of abuse.If you notice that your friend has bruises or reoccurring injuries, ask what is happening in a non-judgmental way.Talk to your friends about establishing boundaries in their relationships and the dangers of digital abuse.If you suspect that your friend is in an abusive relationship, talk to a trusted adult, contact your local domestic violence agency, or a helplineIf your friend tells you that they are in an abusive relationship, be supportive and patient. Contact your local domestic violence agency, call the statewide Helpline, or get an adult involved who can help.Join or start a club for young people at your school or in your community that addresses dating violence and builds skills around how to have healthy relationships.Host an event at your school or in your community that raises awareness about dating violence and promotes healthy relationships.Volunteer at a local domestic violence shelter.10

Be An Active BystanderDuring the SituationBe aware of the situation/recognize the problemTake on a sense of responsibilityHow can you keep yourself safe?Recruit others to helpBe confident and use intervention skills

Tips for intervening: Approach everyone as a friend. Do not be antagonistic. Avoid using violence. Be honest and direct whenever possible. Recruit help if necessary. Keep yourself safe. If things get out of hand or become too serious, contact the police.

During the Situation: (adapted and expanded from Darley & Latanes Bystander Intervention Model)Notice an occurrence out of the ordinaryDecide in your gut that something is amiss or unacceptableAsk yourself, "Could I play a role here?"If no one intervenes, what will likely happen?Is someone else better placed to respond?What would be my purpose in responding?Assess your options for giving helpDetermine the potential risks of taking action.Are there risks to myself?Are there risks to others (e.g. potential retaliation against person being "helped")?Is there a low-risk option?How could I reduce risks?Is there more information I can get to better assess the situation?Decide whether to act, at the time or later

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Intervention Skills

I Statements Silent Stare Humor Group Intervention Distraction Call for Help

Other Examples of How to Intervene

Step in and separate the two people. Let them know your concerns and reasons for intervening. Be a friend and let them know you are acting in their best interest. Makesure each person makes it home safely.

Use a distraction to redirect the focus somewhere else:Hey, I need to talk to you. or Hey, this party is lame. Lets go somewhere else.

Evaluate the situation and people involved to determine your best move. You could directly intervene yourself, or alert friends of each person to come in and help. If theperson reacts badly, try a different approach.

Recruit the help of friends of both people to step in as a group.

Divert the attention of one person away from the other person. Have someone standing by to redirect the other persons focus.

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Taking Action As a Bystander

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUoHpLQyH2U

What can my friends and I do to be safe?

Have a plan.Talk with your friends about your plans for the night BEFORE you go out. Do you feel like drinking? Are you interested in hooking up? Where do you want to go? Having a clear plan ahead of time helps friends look after one another.

Go out togther. Go out as a group and come home as a group; never separate and never leave your friend(s) behind.

Watch out for others. If you are walking at night with friends and notice a woman walking by herself in the same direction, ask her to join you so she doesnt have to walk alone.

Diffuse situations. If you see a friend coming on too strong to someone who may be too drunk to make a consensual decision, interrupt, distract, or redirect the situation. If you are too embarrassed or shy to speak out, get someone else to step in.

Trust your instincts. If a situation or person doesnt seem right to you, trust your gut and remove yourself, if possible, from the situation.13

Step UP To Make A Difference

University of Arizona Step Up

Video Length 4 min14

Discussion and Questions

www.janascampaign.org

Resources

www.loveisrespect.org/is-this-abuse/dating-violence-statisticswww.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/172837.pdfwww.victimsofcrime.org/docs/src/stalking-fact-sheet_english.pdfwww.cdc.gov/en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Bystander_effectwww.stopabuse.vt.edu/Get_Involved/www.ricadv.org/en/get-involved/do-more/bystander-actionwww.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Factsheet_Bystander-SAAM-2011.pdfwww.nomoreri.orgwww.utc.edu/criminal-justice/pdfs/bystander.pdfwww.unh.edu/sharpp/bystanderwww.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Booklets_Text-Only_Engaging-Bystanders-in-Sexual-Violence-Prevention.pdf

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