Bystander Intervention

Request a Bystander Intervention Training for your staff, class, or student organization.

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“An active Bystander is someone who sees a problematic situation and chooses to take action.”

Anyone can be an active Bystander, and here are a few quick and easy steps to help you do it!

How To Be An Active Bystander:

• Notice the incident
• Interpret the incident as an emergency
• Assume responsibility for intervening
• Have the bystander intervention skills to help

The Five D’s of Bystander Intervention

When you see a potentially unsafe situation …

Direct – Step in and address the situation directly.

Example: “That’s not cool. Please Stop” or “Hey, leave them alone.”

Distract – Create a distraction to suppress the situation.

Example: “Hey aren’t you in my Spanish class?”

Delegate – Find someone who can help you intervene.

Example: You could contact an R.A., a campus police officer, or a faculty or staff member.  

Delay – It may be best to delay any action for a few minutes.

Example: If you are in a group, you could delay your intervention by asking the person to use the restroom with you.

Document – It can be helpful for the “Target” to have a video or documentation of the incident.

Example: If you see something happening, document in your notes on your phone what time the incident occurred, what the people were wearing, where the incident occurred, etc. In the state of TN, you may take a video in PUBLIC locations. If you see something happening outside, in a restaurant, in a classroom, it is allowed for you to record the incident to use as evidence. You may not record anything where there is an expectation to privacy, such as a bathroom, changing room, bedroom, etc.

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