Why take a bystander approach?
A bystander approach equips people with the confidence and skills to notice, step up, and act when they witness something harmful.
Evidence based
Training active bystanders has a positive knock-on effect. If one person is feeling uncomfortable with someone’s behaviour, it’s likely, others are too.
Research has shown that when one person intervenes, the group norm changes – and it shows other bystanders that it’s okay to speak up. By having the confidence and skillset to intervene, we act as leaders and encourage others to speak out too. Importantly, a clear message is sent to the wrongdoer that their actions are unacceptable.
All of our training is evidence-based. This means there is a body of published research from which we have developed our programmes. Data informs both the content of our training, and how we deliver it.
Just banter? What's the connection?
Humans connect and build bonds, in part, through humour. But when some take it too far, or make jokes at the expense of those already marginalised, it can create a culture that inhibts postive interventions and encourages more severe harm.
Check out our animation to see how this works…
The bystander approach works in three key ways
When we intervene skillfully, we:
Support the victim
Show others
Help the wrongdoer
Through these often small and everyday acts, we can set new group norms in which positive intervention is encouraged and workplace/community cultures become kinder, safer, and more equitable.
What are interventions?
There’s a misconception that intervening means being very obvious, or even aggressive. This couldn’t be further from the truth!
The interventions we explore in our training include:
