Bystander Intervention
Bystander Intervention: Supporting Friends
81% of students experience sexual harassment at school
939,000 documented instances of violence or crime at school in the 2019-2020 school year
20% of bystanders actually intervene while witnessing harassment
Why Bystanders Matter: Bystanders play a critical role in caring for our community and creating a world free from abuse.
You have the power to:
Provide support to peers, victims, and survivors
Interrupt victim-blaming and behaviors that normalize abuse and harassment
Talk with friends about abusive and unhealthy relationships
Interrupt abusive jokes and language
Create teams, friend groups, and spaces that respect the boundaries of others and center consent
Remember:
There are many reasons that bystanders DON’T get involved, including fear, not wanting to be the only one or being a nag, etc. but, intervention does not have to be extreme. Change is something that happens in relationships with others. Interrupting behaviors that encourage, make fun of, or minimize abuse is a form of intervention. Taking small steps can help to make sure that we, our friends, and classmates feel safe and seen in our schools.
Strategies for intervention:
Give those experiencing controlling and unhealthy relationships a non-judgmental space to process and feel heard
Respond to victim-blaming with accurate information and empathy. “No one deserves abuse. If that ever happened to me, I hope that you wouldn’t talk about me like that.” etc.
Talk with your friends and classmates about boundaries, respect, and healthy relationships. When you see unhealthy or abusive behaviors in the media acknowledge and talk about them with your friends, classmates, community, a trusted adult, or whoever feels safest to you.
Visit eleven-24.org or nnedv.org for more information
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-05170-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/ exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
