What You Need to Know About Bystander Intervention
The following information on Bystander Intervention was submitted by PSO Karen Noffsinger.
Ending sexual assault/violence is the collective responsibility of all members of our community-students, faculty, and staff. Whether you are first-year student or a tenured professor, you can commit to fighting sexual assault/violence as an active bystander.
What does it mean to be an active bystander? An active bystander is someone who steps in, speaks up, or reaches out in situations that are, or could be, harmful to a specific person or a group of people.
To be an active bystander against sexual assault/violence means to combat sexual assault/violence through words and actions. Active bystanders intervene in situations in where sexual assault/violence is threatened, enacted, perpetrated, condoned, or made light of. They see themselves as willing to intervene for the safety and well-being of those around them.