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Introduction

Who we are:

Gregory Hill

Jasmine Clark

Patrick Waite

Scout Calvert

2019 Team

Jasmine Clark

Margaret Smithglass

Melissa Wisner

Sarah Goldstein

Scout Calvert

Sheila Rabun

The University of Massachusetts Amherst acknowledges that it was founded and built on the unceded homelands of the Pocumtuc Nation on the land of the Norrwutuck community, and is a Land Grant University. As part of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862, Tribal lands from 82 Native Nations west of the Mississippi were sold to provide the resources to found and build this university.

The University of Nebraska is a public, land-grant institution with campuses and programs across the State that reside on the past, present, and future homelands of the Pawnee, Ponca, Oto-Missouria, Omaha, Dakota, Lakota, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Kaw Peoples, as well as the relocated Ho Chunk (Winnebago), Iowa, and Sac and Fox Peoples.

Livingstone College in North Carolina is sited on colonized land traditionally belonging to the Catawba, Cheraw, Sugeree, Wateree, and Waxhaw Peoples.

Pennsylvania, site of Temple University, is the land of the Erielhonan (Erie), Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), Lenni-Lenape, Shawnee, Susquehannock, and Tuscarora nations, and the Honniasont, Saluda, Saponi, Tutelo, and Wenrohronon tribes.

To learn more about the specific role of the Morrill Act in dispossessing Indigenous people to establish public universities, visit Land Grab Universities: https://www.landgrabu.org/

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Agenda

Why this session?
Introduction to Active Bystander Concepts
Fears and risks related to being an active bystander
Encounters in professional contexts
“Boundaries” as a rubric for responding
Strategies for Bystanders: The Five Ds
Communication Recovery Model
Discussion and Scenarios

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Source: Erin in the Morning, https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/june-anti-trans-legislative-risk

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Cultivating optimism

We can be part of making DLF forum as vibrant as ever
Grow comfortable with small, skillful interventions
Even when we feel alone, we can make a difference

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We cannot give legal advice or tell people whether or how they should intervene.

Strategies for “active bystander intervention” relate to nonviolent communication, self-defense, personal safety, and other skillsets that we are not experts in. The purpose of this orientation is to provide an introduction to these ideas for personal reflection and empowerment. We cannot endorse any specific course of action, but we can provide a space to talk through some scenarios and apply principles to them. Just like using your GPS for driving, always do a reality check before taking any unmarked roads!

a disclaimer!

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Introduce the concept of being an active bystander to empower people to reflect on their personal philosophies and preparedness to intervene.
Provide individuals with some of the basic information and tactics to address a situation if/when they are part of one.
Help people understand their own comfort levels, assess risks, and choose interventions that feel balanced.
Discuss and reflect on types of behaviors that may create an unwelcoming environment in professional and other contexts.
Anticipate scenarios that could happen in professional situations, to help support inclusive participation at the Forum.
Encourage people to read the Code of Conduct and help them envision some ways they might interact with it.

Our goals for this session

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Defining “Active Bystander”

An active bystander witnesses an act that is harmful and doesn’t just passively observe or walk away. An active bystander makes the effort to intervene and de-escalate
Primary Aim is to safely diminish and defuse the negative or potentially harmful situation
MIT Resource : Active Bystanders: Definition & Philosophy

[Transition into this section:

In recent years, the idea of bystander intervention or being an active bystander has received more exposure. A number of organizations offer active bystander training, and in this session, we are bringing together insights from Right to Be (Formerly Hollaback), American Friends Service Committee, and Ervin Staub’s TAB Training.]

So, “What is an active bystander?” An active bystander witnesses an act that is harmful (such as name-calling, rumors, or physical violence) and doesn’t just passively observe or walk away. An active bystander makes the effort to intervene and de-escalate (Taken from UMass system. I know MIT’s example was mentioned, but right at this moment I am not inclined to refer to theirs given what has been going on there).

The guiding principles of bystander intervention, or being an active bystander, do not aim to immediately educate or change standing patterns of individual behavior. Its primary objective is to safely diminish or defuse the negative or potentially harmful situation. It is important to acknowledge that as either a non-active or active bystander you ARE part of the situation.

Active bystander means you opt to intervene.

Non-active means you witness behavior and choose not to act.

Both approaches have risks associated with them. Not being active can lead to the normalization of harmful behaviors you witness (as an example, when no one speaks up against a sexist or racist remark made at work), and being an active bystander may put you at physical risk depending on the situation. If and when you notice an individual is behaving in a manner that is disrespectful, harmful, or even violent, your active bystander training can help you determine what the best approach –be it to Direct, Distract, Delegate, Delay, and/or Document any given situation. These approaches will be discussed in detail later in the session. It is essential to remember that no matter which approach you select, the goal is for the person on the receiving end of the negative behavior to have the chance to remove themselves from the situation, and for all parties to remain unharmed.

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Active Bystander Concepts: Purpose of Intervention

Reduce harm in the moment: redirect/defuse/interrupt, so as to put a stop to the action/harm
Demonstrate an alternative to other observers/bystanders

https://www.afsc.org/sites/default/files/documents/bystander_intervention_final.pdf

Doing Nothing sends a message

Handling Workplace Bullying (LinkedinLearning.com video course) if you have a LinkedInLearning account or lynda.com account
https://www.splcenter.org/20171005/splc-campus-guide-bystander-intervention#intervene

Another reason is to model and reinforce the community’s expected behaviors

So why is it a good thing to intervene? What purpose does the intervention of a bystander serve?

The primary and most important purpose of intervention is to:

Reduce or stop the harm in the moment:
redirect, defuse,/interrupt, so as to put a stop to the action/harm

You are going to do something that stops a particular behavior or speak out if a boundary is crossed; either way you’re trying to put a halt to harm in the moment.

Other important purpose of intervention is to:

Demonstrate an alternative to other observers/bystanders.

the most likely thing to happen at a professional conference like the DLF is a verbal or argumentative interaction, and by being an active bystander, there’s the potential to create a space or opportunity to encourage others to help in the moment, and empower other observers or bystanders who may want to help but are hesitating.
https://www.afsc.org/sites/default/files/documents/bystander_intervention_final.pdf

Doing nothing sends a message:

Note: This is not meant as criticism or pre-judgement for deciding not to intervene! Deciding not to intervene or take action is
When we recognize harmful interactions but don’t speak up it can send an implicit message that harassment is ok.
The effects of inaction being both allowing a behavior to continue, and possibly deeply affecting the one who has been harmed, in making them deal with the fact that no one said or did anything.

Handling Workplace Bullying (LinkedinLearning.com video course) if you have a LinkedInLearning account or lynda.com account
https://www.splcenter.org/20171005/splc-campus-guide-bystander-intervention#intervene

Another reason is to model and reinforce the community’s expected behaviors

If the most important thing is to stop someone from being harmed in the moment, remember that we are members of a community and should demonstrate to others what is possible and what is acceptable within our community. In other words we are modeling behavior.
Modeling proper behaviors in the moment can be both positive and powerful and could have lasting effects on others outside the initial moment.

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Purpose of Interventions within the DLF

Building Community expectations

Active bystanders reinforce and uphold the Code of Conduct (CoC)

Creates space of awareness for the DLF Community
We contribute to the success of DLF and our community

Reinforce/uphold Code of Conduct (CoC)

If collectively we want to be a healthy and welcoming community, then an understanding of intervention is one thing that can help. I like to think of the CoC as a framework for understanding how we are expected to interact with each other, and then applying the concept and practice of being an active bystander as a tactic or tool in my toolbox for participating.

Create space of awareness for the DLF community

We are a community, and within every community there are different viewpoints, perspectives, different walks of life, and different ways of living and existing in our world. As a community we are coming together in a single location for the forum, and sometimes within community there can be friction caused unfamiliar ideas, differing perspectives and lived experiences. To understand and be ready to be an active bystander is to be perceptive of yourself and of others in this community, and bring a commitment to be involved and aware of what’s going on around you.

Contributes to a successful DLF forum!

If we all bring this awareness to the DLF, We all can contribute to all participants being able to make the most out of the Forum: we want a vibrant and successful DLF forum and wider community!

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Risks and Fears | Why people stay passive

Fear of the Wrong!

not knowing what to do
getting it wrong
making things worse
looking bad

Power Dynamics

Relationships with the people Involved
Professional Blowback

Trauma Triggers
Safety risks
Diminishing responsibility

All of that said, it’s really important to acknowledge that it can be a challenge for many of us to get past internal resistance and participate in a situation when there are a lot of unknowns. Reasons for not intervening can be very personal and should be respected. It’s an individual choice to become an active bystander, but knowing you’re part of a broader community of support can make all the difference when you’re considering whether to take that step. Here are some common reasons for not getting involved:

Fear of the Wrong!

these are more freeze up around internalized conflicts about getting involved.

Not knowing what to do
getting it wrong
making things worse
looking bad

Power Dynamics

this can be a risk because the person causing the harm may have more power or be in a position to retaliate, personally or professionally causing you to feel vulnerable.

this can manifest itself as personal repercussions where the abuser is a friend or colleague
it can also look like professional blowback where your involvement might put your job, reputation or influences at risk.

Trauma Triggers

People can have past trauma which can unfortunately get triggered by various situations

Diminished Responsibility

We tend to think that someone else will take responsibility or act first in situations.

Safety Risks

We need to maintain our own safety, as well as the safety of others. in some situations we need to be creative to handle and mitigate aggressive threats of physical violence.

Our hope for this orientation is that it will help people explore their own internal hurdles and strategies so they can feel empowered to safely intervene in a way that matches the situation and their comfort level. We also want people to know they aren’t alone when they worry about the risks -- everyone does. It’s more helpful than you might think to try to assess risk and safety before getting involved.

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Kinds of Encounters at a Professional Conference

Interpersonal between attendees/colleagues
Interpersonal between attendees and locals/staff
Session interactions between moderators and attendees
Session interactions between moderators and presenters
Session interactions between presenters and attendees
Interactions between organizers/organizations and member(s)/membership

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Types of Boundaries

Emotional
Mental
Intellectual
Physical
Financial
Cultural
Organizational (policy)

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Responding to Encounters - Deciding If You Need to Intervene

Ask yourself:

Whose boundary was crossed?
What type of boundary was crossed?
Who is responsible for moderation/enforcement?
Is it a legal issue?
Is it a policy or CoC violation?
Is it a situation where no concrete legal or policy based violation is occurring?

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“Do’s and Don’ts” - DO

Do take cues from the individual being harassed. For example, notice if the person being harassed is resisting in their own way, and honor that. (Especially white folks, don’t police tone of the person being harassed).
Do make your presence as a witness known. For example, make eye contact with the person being harassed and ask them if they want support.
When speaking, do use “I” statements as opposed to accusatory “you” statements.
Do keep both of you safe. Assess your surroundings—are there others nearby you can pull in to support? Working in a team is a good idea, if it is possible.

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“Do’s and Don’ts” - DON’T

Don’t call the police unless absolutely necessary. For many communities experiencing harassment right now (including Arab and Muslim communities, Black people, queer and trans folks, and immigrants) the police can cause a greater danger for the person being harassed.
Don’t escalate the situation. The goal is to get the person being harassed to safety, not to incite further violence from the attacker.
Don’t do nothing. Silence is dangerous—it communicates approval and leaves the victim high and dry. If you find yourself too nervous or afraid to speak out, move closer to the person being harassed to communicate your support with your presence.

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Strategies: The 5 “D’s”

DOCUMENT

DELAY

DELEGATE

DISTRACT

DIRECT

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Direct

“Did I hear correctly that you just said ___________?

“That comment was ______________________ (inappropriate / disrespectful / homophobic / racist / etc.)

“Kim’s pronouns are they/them/theirs, please respect that.”

“I am interested in hearing what Mark has to say. Please stop interrupting him.”

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Distract

“Do you know where the bus stop is?”

“Can you help me find room 325?”

Accidentally on purpose spill your drink, or drop your belongings.

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Delegate

Engage other bystanders.
DLF Staff and volunteers - look for white lanyards.
Call or text CLIR/DLF staff at 732-737-7328 (732-RESPECT) (7am to 9pm Local Time)
Email: info@diglib.org

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Delay

�Offer Help to The Person Affected:

“ I heard what the person said to you - are you ok?

“I’m sorry that happened to you. Do you want to talk about it?”

Call in the Offender:

“ I noticed your comment earlier, & it came off as ____ (racist, sexist, etc.) I think some people may have been offended by it, & I want to make sure you are aware…"

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Document

Keep a safe distance
Capture landmarks
Clearly state the day and time
Try to capture at least 10 seconds of the interaction
Always check with the person affected before posting or sharing.

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights#i-want-to-take-pictures-or-shoot-video-at-a-protest

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The Purpose of Intervention Strategies

Do what you can and with respect for the person who is affected.
Use your best judgment, and consider the safety of yourself and those around you.
You can also support other active bystanders by working together, or if you notice someone else intervening, consider thanking them.
The more we show support for each other, the more effective intervention strategies are.

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Communication Recovery Model

accept feedback
acknowledge your impact
apologize
ask questions for clarification
reflect and commit to change
move forward in communication.

from Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts: Communicating Respectfully in a Diverse World

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Discussion and Q&A

Reminders:

Reality check (check conditions on the ground before deciding)
Boundaries and agency (remember to try to restore agency to the person being harmed)
Five Ds (match your comfort level and risks with a way to interrupt what’s happening)
Communication recovery model (learn and make amends after interactions gone wrong

Five Ds

Direct
Distract
Delegate
Delay
Document

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Scenarios

Question from audience member in a session seems to have an agenda, not just curiosity or clarification; when the presenter tries to answer, the audience member interrupts to ask it in a different way.
Someone addresses another person using the wrong pronouns. They are not being malicious, but this is their first time being corrected and they are unsure how to respond.
You overhear someone make a comment about someone else’s appearance or body (either “hitting on” or body policing mode)
Someone makes a remark that includes commonly used misinformation about a marginalized group.

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