What Is Bystander Intervention?
Bystander Intervention is a sexual violence prevention program that focuses on the importance of prosocial bystander behaviors. The program seeks to empower Boston College students to identify sexual violence as a form of oppression and intervene as a prosocial bystander to prevent oppression. Additionally, Bystander Intervention works to promote healthy relationships and bodily autonomy.听
Program Objectives
As a result of participating in Bystander Intervention education, students will be able to:
- Define sexual violence and identify examples of it
- Articulate ways that they can actively prevent situations that might lead to sexual violence or any other form of oppression
- Develop personal plans to combat situations that could lead to sexual violence or any other form of oppression
- Acknowledge the difference between appropriate behaviors, jokes, and images, and those which stem from prejudice and oppression
- Identify their own boundaries and know when to ask for help from more experienced professionals
- Know the professional resources available to students on 51茶馆鈥檚 campus, such as the CARE Team and SANet
Learn More About Bystander Behavior and Sexual Assault Prevention
The "Bystander Effect"
We know that there are multiple factors that influence the decision of whether or not to intervene when witnessing a potential act of sexual misconduct. However, research has shown that the most significant predictive factor is the number of other people who are present when the incident occurs, a phenomenon known as the 鈥楤ystander Effect鈥�. Our goal is to reduce the Bystander Effect by spreading awareness about this phenomenon and equipping students with effective intervention strategies.
Our goal is to reduce the Bystander Effect by spreading awareness about this phenomenon and equipping students with effective intervention strategies.听
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the enormous positive impact prosocial bystanders can make in the lives of others. We hope that this video inspires you to intervene in situations of oppression!
Please kindly note that this video may contain topics that are distressing; please proceed with caution and care.听听
Techniques for Intervention
Hopefully the previous video gave you a sense of how important it is for bystanders to speak up! Here are some suggestions on how to intervene. We encourage you to intervene in a way that feels safe and comfortable for you.
If you see a friend or a stranger in a situation that doesn鈥檛 seem right, you could:
Distract: Redirect the focus elsewhere. At a party for example, you could spill a drink, put on a popular song, or ask someone to take a picture.
Separate: Separate the people involved. You could ask someone to dance, ask your friend to come with you to the bathroom, or invite them to grab late night food.
Recruit: Ask others for help. You could recruit the help of your own friends or friends of the people who are involved in the situation. This is especially helpful if you don鈥檛 really know the people involved. Depending on the situation you may also want to recruit a professional source.
Use 鈥淚鈥� statements: When using 鈥淚鈥� statements, you want to state your feelings, name the behavior, and state how you want the person to respond. This focuses on your feelings rather than on criticizing the other person.
Bystander Pledge
- I will support survivors on and off Boston College鈥檚 campus by believing, listening, and empowering them however they may need.
- I will intervene when I witness indicators of the perpetration of violence and oppression by using intervention techniques.
- I will educate myself and the Boston College community about the importance of consent and how to recognize when it can and cannot be given.
- I will share Boston College campus resources, such as the SANet hotline and the CARE team.
- I will listen with an open mind, heart, and ears to others鈥� perspectives and experiences, particularly those from marginalized and/or underrepresented backgrounds.
In order to fulfill those commitments,听
- I will educate myself and others on how to dismantle oppression, including actions that are rooted in sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, and many other forms of oppression.
- I will educate myself on how these forms of oppression manifest through sexual violence and hate speech.
- I will continuously learn about the privileges I hold and be an ally to those who are marginalized.听听
- I will learn how my individual actions are informed by my prejudices, both conscious and unconscious, and commit to unlearning them.听
- I will effectively use my privilege to both interrupt and prevent oppression.
- I will act with respect and compassion towards others, working to be a resource, ally, and friend to those who need one.
- I will support my own emotional and physical needs, keeping in mind that practicing self-care and checking in with myself will make me a more effective ally.
Sexual Misconduct is a broad term that encompasses sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other forms of misconduct and violence of a sexual nature. Sexual misconduct can occur between individuals who know each other, those who have an established relationship, those who have previously engaged in consensual sexual activity, and between individuals who do not know each other. Sexual misconduct can be committed by persons of any gender identity, and it can occur between people of the same or different genders.
Rape is the act of physically forcing or otherwise compelling oral, vaginal, or anal penetration through threats, coercion, or without seeking or receiving enthusiastic and continual consent.
Sexual assault is any sexual contact or sexual penetration with another individual without consent.
Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Stalking is a course of behavior directed at a person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety, or suffer substantial emotional distress.
Sexual exploitation is taking sexual advantage of another person and includes recording, photographing, or transmitting images of private sexual activity and/or the intimate parts of a person without consent.
Intimate partner violence is any act of violence or a pattern of abusive behavior in an intimate relationship. It may include actual or threatened physical violence, sexual violence, psychological or emotional abuse, and progressive social isolation.
See a copy of Boston College鈥檚 Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Consent is the clear and voluntary agreement to engage in specific acts of sexual contact or activity, communicated through mutually understandable words or actions. Consent is always freely informed and actively given. Silence or lack of resistance cannot be assumed to imply consent. Consent must be ongoing, and it may be withdrawn at any time. Consent for one sexual act does not imply consent for any subsequent sexual activity. If confusion or ambiguity arises during a sexual interaction, it is imperative that the behavior stop and the person initiating the activity has the other person鈥檚 consent to continue. Consent may never be obtained:
- From an individual who is incapacitated;
- Through the use of coercion or force; or
- From a person who is under the legal age to give consent (16 years of age in Massachusetts).