Indiana Campus Sexual Assault Primary Prevention Project

Bystander Intervention

Understanding Bystander Intervention

The role of the bystander is one component of sexual violence prevention that can be effective on college campuses. Common goals of bystander programs are to:

• Develop ways to increase awareness of sexual assault, such as learning to make observations and recognizing warning behaviors that may require intervention;
• Teach the appropriate skills to intervene safely and effectively, in both direct and indirect ways.

Effective bystander programs foster an encouraging environment for others to speak out against sexist attitudes, rape myth beliefs, and sexual violence itself. Confronting sexual violence can help change the social norms of a community and society as a whole.

Bystander Intervention Programs

• Bringing in the Bystander
• Bringing in the Bystander evaluation
• Green Dot Program
• Mentors in Violence Prevention
• Findings from a two-year evaluation of the MVP program
• Step Up! A Prosocial Behavior/Bystander Intervention Program for Student-Athletes

Other Online Resources