Bystander Intervention

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The College is committed to educating its community on the positive impact that proactive bystander intervention can make in the prevention of sexual misconduct. Whether a bystander is a student, faculty member, staff, administrator, parent or friend, the College recognizes that a bystander may witness situations where an individual(s) engages in sexual misconduct against another individual(s) and is in a unique position to intervene and make a difference. To that end, the College provides educational information to its community including but not limited to how to notice the warning signs of sexual assault and abusive relationships and proactively engage in safe intervention best practices.

Contact Title IX Coordinator

Palmer Main Campus
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
563-884-5246

Palmer Florida
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
386-763-2665

5 D’s of Bystander Intervention

Distract

Distraction is a subtle and creative way to intervene. Its aim is simply to derail the incident of harassment by interrupting it.

Examples: 

  1. Engage directly with the person who is being harassed.
  2. Interrupt and pretend you are excited to run into them and talk to them about something random.
  3. Accidentally spill your drink or drop something to shift the attention away from the harassment.

Delegate

Delegation is asking a third party for help with intervening in the harassment.

  1. Look for a delegate that is able and willing to help.
  2. Clearly inform the delegate what you are witnessing and how you would like them to help you.

Delegates can include: 

  1. Someone standing next to you.
  2. Someone in authority
  3. Someone near you that is also witnessing what is happening. Work together to come up with a plan to intervene.

Delay

If you are unable to act in the moment, it is important to check on the individual being harassed after the incident. You can help reduce that person’s trauma by speaking to them after an instance of harassment.

Examples

  1. Ask them if they are okay and let them know what you witnessed.
  2. Ask them if you can support them in any way.
  3. Escort them where they want/need to go.
  4. Encourage them to report the incident.

Direct Action

Direct action is responding directly to the harassment by naming the inappropriate behavior and confronting the individual doing the harm.

This should be used with caution as it may redirect the harassers abuse towards you or it may escalate the situation.

Assess the situation prior to direct intervention:

  1. Determine whether you are physically safe
  2. Determine whether the person being harassed is physically safe
  3. Determine whether it is unlikely your intervention will escalate the situation
  4. Try to determine whether the person being harassed wants someone to speak up

Direct action should be short and succinct. Avoid engaging in debate and/or argument. Focus on assisting the person who is harmed, instead of engaging with the person doing the harm.

Examples:

  1. “That’s inappropriate”, “That’s not okay”
  2. “Leave them alone”
  3. “Please stop now”

Call out negative behavior or ask the victim if they are OK, give a disapproving look, say “stop that” or ask, “Can I help you?” Do this as a group if you can.

Document

Documentation involves recording or taking notes on an instance of harassment.

Prior to documenting:

  1. Assess whether someone else is helping the individual being harassed. If not, use one of the 5D’s to intervene.
  2. If someone is already helping, assess your own safety and if safe, begin documenting.
  3. Ask the person who is being harassed what they want you to do with your recording or notes. Never post it on-line or use it without their permission.