Bringing in the Bystander™

Developed out of the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Prevention Innovations by Elizabethe G. Plante, Victoria L. Banyard, Mary M. Moynihan & Robert P. Eckstein

This program is based on founding work of bystander-focused prevention by Jackson Katz (Mentors in Violence Prevention program), Alan Berkowitz (men's violence), John Foubert (One in Four programs) and incorporates David Lisak's (the Undetected Rapist) research.

Dartmouth focuses on operating under the Principle of Community which reads:
"The life and work of a Dartmouth student should be based on integrity, responsibility and consideration. In all activities each student is expected to be sensitive to and respectful of the rights and interests of others and to be personally honest. He or she should be appreciative of the diversity of the community as providing an opportunity for learning and moral growth."

The Bringing In the Bystander™ program also operates under the concept of community which they define as "Everyone in the community has a role to play in ending sexual violence." This program works to engage both men and women into the work of creating a safer campus community. With an emphasis on skill building, participants are expected to walk away with basic skills in how to intervene.

Schedule a Program
Blitz SAAP to schedule a program for your organization, team, department or group. Audience size should be between 10-30 participants and best with mixed genders. We offer 2 versions or the workshop, the full 4.5hr workshop (can be done in one or two sessions) or the 2hr workshop. 

Overview of Program

• Uses a community of responsibility model to teach bystanders how to intervene safely and effectively in cases where sexual assault may be occurring or where there may be risk. Its main message is that "Everyone in the community has a role to play in ending sexual violence."
• The curriculum approaches both women and men as potential bystanders or witnesses to risky behaviors related to sexual violence around them.
• Conducted in groups with a team of one male and one female  facilitator who provide an active learning environment for participants to learn about the role of active bystanders in communities, information about sexual violence and help participants learn and practice appropriate and safe prevention skills.
• Has been evaluated with both a short one-session curriculum and a longer version on the campus of UNH. Evaluation is ongoing and results demonstrate the efficacy of this program for increasing participants' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about effective responses to sexual violence.
• A report detailing the program can be found HERE

Learning Outcomes
Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of what bystanders responsibility is through presentation of concepts and examples.
• Have the opportunity to apply the concept of bystander responsibility to their own past experience.
• Be able to identify the range of unacceptable sexual behaviors and become aware of the prevalence and context of sexual violence.
• Increase their empathy for victims.
• Cultivate skills in identifying situations where bystander intervention may be appropriate.
• Gain experience in working through the decision process with regard to bystander behaviors including cost/benefits of intervening.
• Gain knowledge of resources that are available to support bystanders and victims/survivors.
• Express motivation and commitment to be an active bystander.

Much of the content in this page was taken from UNH's Prevention Innovations