Bystander skills

Bystander intervention

If there’s a group of people telling racist jokes, will you speak up and say you don’t want to hear it? If someone sends you emails or texts with content that demeans women, will you ask them to stop? If someone is affected by alcohol and can’t make their way home safely, will you make sure they get home safely? If you see a serious situation that looks like police assistance is required, will you call the police?

Bystander intervention is an approach that can be used to improve situations where it looks like a person could use some help. The approach is about being an active, positive contributor – someone who challenges problematic behaviour effectively and respectfully.

  • Being an active bystander

    In a situation where something bad is happening, bystanders are witnesses who think ‘somebody should do something about this’.

    • Passive bystanders are people who might think ‘somebody should do something about this’ but then choose, for whatever reason, not to act.
    • Active bystanders are people who think, ‘I should do something about this,’ and then do something to try to improve the situation.

    Respect women: Call it out–active bystander A conversation around sexual harassment on public transport. Learn tools to call out inappropriate behaviour.

  • Barriers to being an active bystander

    Being an active bystander isn’t always easy. It takes courage to try to improve a situation. There can be many reasons why someone might hesitate to act:

    • To avoid confrontation, fear for one’s physical safety, concerns about being judged, or worries about getting it wrong and making matters worse.
    • The belief that it is pointless.
    • A sense that this is ‘just the way it is and nothing I do is going to change it.’
    • Someone else will say or do something instead, or perhaps it is simply not knowing what to do or say to try to improve the situation.

    Who are you? A range of bystander intervention techniques is demonstrated in this video.

  • Ways to be an active bystander

    Being an active bystander doesn’t always mean confronting a perpetrator face to face. If there are safe and calm ways that you can address a perpetrator, you may choose to step in, but it’s important to remember bystander intervention is about improving the situation, and this can include direct and indirect intervention.

    Regardless of which way you choose to be an active bystander, there are three important rules:

    1. Safe: Keep yourself and others safe
      Assess the risk of direct intervention. If you are concerned about your own or others' safety, you can choose a more indirect way to be an active bystander. If you get involved in a situation that starts to feel unsafe, try and get out of it and then reassess your options. Don’t be aggressive or violent. The purpose is to challenge unacceptable behaviour with acceptable behaviour.
    2. Active: Do something
      Focus on what you can do. Don’t talk yourself out of action by saying things like ‘what’s the point, it won’t change anything’ or ‘someone else will do something about it’. Believe that you can influence others. Think about the most appropriate action to take.
    3. Calm: Always stay calm and try to calm others
      The less agitated people are, the less likely things are to get out of control.

Direct vs indirect bystander intervention

Bystander intervention can take different forms depending on the situation, your safety, and what feels appropriate in the moment. Actions may be direct or indirect, and both play an important role in creating safer, more respectful environments.

  • Direct bystander intervention

    Interrupt the behaviour

    • Use body language
      Communicate that the behaviour is unacceptable using body language. Sometimes, a disapproving look can be simpler and more effective than words.
    • Bring it home
      Make it relatable to the instigator. Ask ‘What if someone said that to your girlfriend?’
    • Show public support
      Publicly support the victimised person. Ask ‘Are you ok?’
    • Start a line of enquiry
      Sometimes, when you hear or see something that doesn’t seem right, the opportunity presents itself to help the person who is being offensive to better understand the impact of their behaviour.
      • It was just a joke >> I don’t understand the joke. Can you explain it to me?
      • It’s just the way it is to >> Do you really think that’s the case?
      • I’m just saying… >> I don’t know the answer, but I don’t think that’s it
      • It will never change >> What do you mean by that?

    Example

    A man was waiting near a city bus stop at night. He noticed that a car kept driving past and slowing down, and some men inside the car were harassing a woman who was waiting at the bus stop.

    Intervention
    Ask a man who is harassing a woman on the street for directions or the time
    or 
    The man walked over to the woman and said, ‘Hello, Mary.’

    Outcome
    The car drove away. Her name was not Mary, and he did not know her, but he chose to intervene. He did not need to confront the perpetrator.

  • Indirect bystander intervention

    Observe and report

    • Request help from others
      Get help from someone better placed to intervene. This could include the police, security, staff, or friends of the people involved.
    • Privately support an aggrieved person
      Listen supportively and provide information about support for employees and students.
    • Report the incident
      If the perpetrator is from an identifiable group (e.g. function, workplace, etc.), you could make a complaint about their behaviour.

    Example

    You see someone acting inappropriately towards a member of the community at a campus venue.

    Intervention
    You call campus security and provide a description of the perpetrator and the student, as well as the location of the venue.
    You provide details of the incident in a formal report.

    Outcome
    Security arrives, asks the person to leave, and files a report about the incident.

Support for bystanders

Contact a Respect or Respect@Work Officer

If you observe any conduct that appears inappropriate and involves a member of the Notre Dame community, we encourage you to share your concerns with us. You are welcome to engage in a confidential conversation with a University Respect Officer, who will attentively receive your information and evaluate the necessary subsequent actions.

Access support services and receive guidance on making a disclosure or formal report under Support for employees and students.

Training and education resources

Explore training and educational resources focused on the behaviours associated with gender-based violence. These resources aim to raise awareness, promote prevention and develop effective response strategies. You can participate in workshops and courses, engage in self-paced learning modules and access various support resources.

All available training and educational resources can be found on the Training and education page.