Bystander intervention is a strategy for preventing and deescalating violence through those who are witnessing or aware that violence is happening.
A bystander is an individual who notices an imminently high-risk situation and faces the choice of whether or not to intervene. An active bystander chooses to do something to address the problem.
Everyone in the Tulane community—students, faculty, and staff—can use bystander intervention skills to help keep our campus safe. The strategies you use to address violence may vary by situation or your role on campus, but everyone has a choice to do something.
Direct
If you see a concerning behavior and are comfortable intervening, deal with it directly by interacting with one of the people involved.
Delegate
When you recognize a high-risk situation and you either feel uncomfortable saying something or you feel like someone else is better suited to handle it, delegating the responsibility is an option. This approach allows for a shared sense of responsibility among community members; you don’t have to intervene alone. Sometimes you are not the right person to intervene but finding someone who can is important.
Distract
The focus of this approach is diversion. If you see a high-risk situation, thinking of a way to divert the attention of the people in the situation may be the most effective option to eliminate potential harm.
One Wave is Tulane's bystander intervention initiative designed to equip our community with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to intervene in situations that involve, or have the potential to involve, sexual assault. One Wave empowers each Tulanian to proactively and outwardly support norms and actions that protect from violence.
Students can attend a 1-hour workshop led by Tulane Peer Health Educators to learn how to keep our peers and communities safe from sexual violence.
Learn more about One Wave and how to sign up for a workshop.
