A GUIDE TO BYSTANDER INTERVENTION: SPLC on CAMPUS
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What sounds familiar?
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In this presentation:
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INACTION TO INTERVENTION
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INTRODUCTION (read)
What’s worse than being targeted for harassment because of who you are? Enduring the harassment while surrounded by bystanders who see what is happening, but do nothing.
Public harassment and hate violence frequently make headlines in the United States. While news reports sometimes feature inspiring accounts of bystanders intervening to stop such attacks, many incidents don’t end as uplifting tales about good Samaritans. They are stories of bystanders frozen in the moment. Other times, people intervene only to find themselves targeted.
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INTRODUCTION (read, continued)
It’s understandable that people can feel immobilized and afraid when faced with these situations. There’s no need, however, to feel helpless. We can all find a way to safely take action that makes a difference. This guide provides those steps. It also examines how to prepare before you encounter such situations. As this guide makes clear, a little preparation can help you find a way to let someone know they are not alone and public harassment will not be tolerated.
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WHY SHOULD I INTERVENE? (read)
Harassment and hate violence have far-reaching effects for the person targeted as well as the community. The individual may experience psychological effects after the incident, such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
It can also affect the person’s behavior in other ways. They may change jobs or skip school to avoid harassment. Some people may go as far as moving to a new community. As for the community where the incident occurred, the overall quality of life can suffer because bigotry went unanswered. Inaction can be seen as acceptance, which can allow hate to persist and grow, potentially leading to more incidents.
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Know what public harassment looks like
Be aware of your identity before taking action
Recognize your blocks, or reasons why you may not intervene
When an incident occurs, choose one of “The 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention”
FOUR STEPS FROM INACTION TO INTERVENTION
D
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STEPS 1-3
Know what public harassment looks like
Be aware of your identity before taking action
Recognize your blocks, or reasons why you may not intervene
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KNOW WHAT PUBLIC HARASSMENT LOOKS LIKE
Understanding that harassment is happening – and why it’s happening – is the first step toward effective intervention. Recognize that harassment exists on a spectrum of actions ranging from hurtful comments and gestures to violence. The type of bigotry fueling the harassment can also run the gamut. Racism, sexism, ageism, classism, xenophobia, homophobia or religious discrimination are a few examples.
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BE AWARE OF YOUR IDENTITY BEFORE TAKING ACTION
Look at who you are – or who you are perceived to be – at the intersection of race, sex, religion, color, gender, size, orientation, ability, age and origin. Awareness is important because a harasser may target you for your identity. In other words, your direct intervention could escalate the situation.
If you share the same identity as the person committing the harassment, if you wield some authority, or if you are otherwise part of the dominant culture, your identity may allow you to de-escalate the situation by speaking to the harasser or intervening in a manner in which others are unable.
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BE AWARE OF YOUR IDENTITY BEFORE TAKING ACTION (continued)
Whatever your identity, it’s important to tap into your experiences to effectively respond. Remember a time when you may have been targeted for harassment or hate violence. It may have been last week or when you were younger and bullied in school. By reflecting on your own experiences, you will be able to empathize with the person targeted, which is important for effective intervention.
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BE AWARE OF YOUR IDENTITY BEFORE TAKING ACTION (continued)
Just as you may not have been able to respond when you were targeted, it’s important to remember that the person targeted may feel the same way. And if nobody came to your aid, you should remember what you would have wanted a bystander to do.
If you have never been harassed, imagine what it might feel like to be targeted. What would you want someone to do? If you know someone who has been harassed, tap into their experiences when you encounter an incident. These measures can help prepare you to act when you might otherwise find yourself on the sidelines.
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RECOGNIZE YOUR BLOCKS, OR REASONS WHY YOU MAY NOT INTERVENE
We all have such blocks. Sometimes we’re scared. Other times, we may feel we can’t make a difference – even if we act. We may believe it’s simply not our problem, especially if no one else is doing anything. We might minimize the harassment or not even recognize the behavior as harassment. (A list examining some of the most common blocks – and why we should still take action – are examined elsewhere in this guide.)
Whatever reasons stand in your way, the most important thing is to be aware of your blocks before choosing one of “The Five Ds of Bystander Intervention” that works for you.
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STEP 4
When an incident occurs, choose one of “The 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention”
5Ds
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STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS:
THE Ds: DIRECT DISTRACT DELEGATE DELAY DOCUMENT
Example:
A _______________ intervention may be risky as it requires talking to a harasser face to face.
(answer: DIRECT)
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THE 5 Ds OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION
DIRECT Direct intervention has many risks, including the harasser targeting you. Exercise it with caution. You may, however, want to directly respond to an incident by confronting the harasser, or stating to everyone that what’s happening is inappropriate or disrespectful.
Before you respond, assess the situation: Are you safe from harm? Is the person being harassed safe from harm? Does it seem unlikely that the situation will escalate? Can you tell if the person being harassed wants someone to speak up? If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, you might choose a direct response.
Some of the things you can say to the harasser include, “Leave them alone,” “That’s inappropriate,” “That’s disrespectful” or “That’s not OK.” The most important thing is to keep it succinct. Do not argue or debate the harasser, since this is how situations escalate. If the harasser responds, assist the person targeted instead of engaging.
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THE 5 Ds OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION
DISTRACT Distraction is a subtler and more creative way to intervene. The goal is to interrupt the incident by engaging with the person targeted. Ignore the harasser. In fact, don’t talk about or refer to the harassment. Instead, talk about something completely unrelated. You can try the following:
• Ask for the time.
• Pretend to be lost. Ask for directions.
• Pretend they are your neighbor, colleague or friend.
• Strike up a conversation about something random. It can be something as simple as complimenting the person’s shoes.
Of course, read the situation and choose your approach accordingly. The person targeted will likely catch on, potentially de-escalating the situation.
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THE 5 Ds OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION
DELEGATE When you delegate, you turn to a third party for help. There are a number of ways to take this approach. Here are a few examples:
• If you are in a store, contact the manager.
• If you are on a bus, speak to the driver. You can take a similar approach on a train by speaking to the conductor, ticket inspector or other employee.
• If you are near a school, contact a teacher or someone at the front desk. You can do the same if the incident is occurring on a college campus. You can also contact campus security.
• Use teamwork to distract and delegate. You can have a friend use one of the distraction techniques to interrupt the harassment long enough for you to find someone to help. If you are not with a friend, speak to someone near you who notices what’s happening and might be in a better position to intervene.
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THE 5 Ds OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION
DELAY Many types of harassment happen before anyone can intervene. If you can’t take action in the moment, you can make a difference afterward by checking on the people targeted. Here are some ways:
• Ask if they are OK. Tell them you’re sorry about what happened.
• Ask how you can help.
• Offer to accompany them to their destination. You can also offer to sit with them for a moment.
• Share resources, such as contact information for advocacy groups that can help. If they want to report the incident, offer to assist.
• If you’ve documented the incident on video – or in any other medium – ask them if they want it.
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THE 5 Ds OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION
DOCUMENT It can be really helpful to record an incident as it happens, but there are a number of things to keep in mind to safely and responsibly document harassment.
• Assess the situation. Is anyone helping the person being harassed? If not, use one of the other Ds.
• If someone else is already helping the person, assess your own safety. If you are safe, start recording. Keep the following tips in mind:
• Keep a safe distance from the incident.
• Make your video easy to verify by filming landmarks, such as a street sign, a subway car number or a train platform sign.
• Clearly state the date and time.
• Always ask the person harassed what he or she wants to do with the recording. Never livestream the video, post it online or otherwise use it without the person’s permission. Harassment is a traumatic and disempowering experience. Using a video without consent can make the person targeted feel more powerless. If it goes viral, it can raise the individual’s profile when they do not want attention, potentially leading to more victimization. Quite simply, publicizing another person’s traumatic experience without consent is not helpful.
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The 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention
Use this video to help complete your fill-in-the-
blanks.
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Which Ds are used in this video?
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DISCUSSION PROMPTS:
Which ‘D’ have you used successfully before? Explain.
Which ‘D’ do you wish you used once, but didn’t intervene? Explain.
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