BOX 4-7Bystander Intervention
Bystander intervention refers to the process by which a bystander (someone who observes a situation and has an opportunity to intervene) identifies and acknowledges a problematic situation and then chooses how to respond. Bystander intervention training has focused on helping people (1) notice the event, (2) interpret it as problematic, (3) assume personal responsibility for intervening in some way, (4) decide how to intervene, and (5) act on that decision (Darley and Latane, 1968; Holland et al., 2016). In short, this training is designed to transform people into active bystanders that can help people who are experiencing harm. The training generally equips people with the skills to intervene in four possible ways, known as the four D’s of intervention: Direct (directly intervene), Distract (distract either party), Delegate (get help from others), and Delay (check in later).a The broad goal of bystander intervention training is to create a culture of support, rather than one of silence and looking to others to act or help (Banyard, 2015).
This training can apply to a wide range of problematic situations, including harassment (i.e. sexual and racial), bullying, bias, incivility, sexual violence and other forms of violence, abusive alcohol consumption, suicide, and depression. There are also many different programs or approaches for conducting bystander intervention training. Two examples that have been used to intervene when bias and discrimination occur are Confronting Prejudiced Responses (CPR) and Behavior Modeling Training (BMT). The first, CPR helps participants understand the factors that promote and inhibit them from intervening, and provides them with a series of steps to go through before deciding whether and how to intervene (Ashburn-Nardo et al., 2008). BMT is focused on developing and practicing skills to intervene. In BMT, participants view model behaviors, practice or rehearse the model behaviors in a safe setting, and then transfer these skills to their work environments (Decker and Nathan, 1985; Goldstein and Sorcher, 1973; Taylor et al., 2005).
Several factors contribute to the likelihood of whether a bystanding individual will choose to intervene; if they are in a position of power or perceive a status challenge, for example, they are more likely to intervene (Hershcovis et al., 2017). Even if bystanders may be well positioned to intervene in situations of workplace incivility, it may not always be beneficial that they do (Jones et al., 2015b). Bystanders subject themselves to risk when they choose to intervene: as perpetrators are often powerful, central players that control access to resources and have ties to powerful people. Choosing to intervene can harm the intervener’s social positioning and increase their likelihood of experiencing retaliation (Cortina and Magley, 2003; Hershcovis et al., 2017); silence, therefore, may be considered the safest option. Additional research is needed to understand the outcomes of when bystanders choose to intervene; effectiveness of specific mechanisms of intervention; the timing and conditions under which bystander intervention effectively stops harassment; and how to mitigate the risks that bystanders face when intervening (Feldblum and Lipnic, 2016).
Bystander intervention training has increasingly been used in higher education environments to address sexual violence among students, and efforts have recently been developed for addressing sexual harassment in workplace and education environments within higher education for undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty, and staff. Additionally, higher education institutions are beginning to develop scenarios for use in bystander intervention training that are specific to the environments and experiences of those in science, engineering, and medicine (NASEM, 2019c). Preliminary evidence suggests that programs to promote bystander intervention may be effective in combating problematic situations faced by women in STEMM. In the context of sexual harassment and sexual violence, for example, bystander intervention education can increase awareness of sexual violence, help dispel myths, encourage intervening behavior (Banyard et al., 2004, 2007), and may even reduce sexual violence altogether (Coker et al., 2016). Although additional research is needed, training bystanders to intervene may be a promising method for disrupting problematic situations and facilitating a positive culture and climate.
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