by Shannen Brouner
The Journal spoke with Green Dot about their mission on campus and how students can become active bystanders to help diffuse high-risk or potentially harmful situations for others.
Bystander intervention involves indentifying high-risk situations and acquiring the knowledge, tools and confidence to act.
“Confidence holds a lot of people back from acting,” said Stephanie Delker, co-outreach coordinator for Green Dot, a club working to reduce power-based violence.
Bystander theory supports the idea that the more bystanders present in high-risk situations, the less likely they are to take action, she said. However, if even one person stands up, it gives others the courage to do the same.
According to Green Dot, being an active bystander can take many different forms. For example, if you are at a party and happen to see someone add any substance to an unattended drink, you could react by “accidentally” spilling the drink.
In a similar situation, if you saw a friend who had had too much to drink, you could make sure they get home safely, Delker said. Or if you heard a group of people verbally harassing someone you could tell them to stop. In any high-risk situation you can make a decision to do something, and this action, no matter how large or small is what Green Dot advocates for.
Delker explains that being an active bystander can also involve making simple choices about “stepping away from rape culture” and consciously avoiding language and actions that perpetuate rape culture in society.
For more tips about how to be an active bystander, view the October edition of Student Health 101, attend Green Dot meetings on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Hamersly Library Room 107, or attend one of Green Dot’s bystander intervention trainings.
