Safety Staying Safe on Campus Being an Active Bystander
The University recognizes that everyone is a bystander at some time. Bystanders play a crucial role in the prevention and avoidance of crimes, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, instances of stalking, and other types of unacceptable behavior. The University is committed to fostering a campus environment of accountability where campus community members are actively engaged in the prevention of violence and mitigation of further harm.
Active bystanders witness these conditions, behaviors, and situations and make the choice to intervene or speak up about the situation. Active bystanders are the largest and first line of defense in eliminating violence or misconduct on the University campus.
What to do as an active bystander is not always clear. To alleviate and add clarity to potential actions by active bystanders, the University provides the following guidelines. This list is by no means complete.
(Bystander intervention strategies adapted from Stanford University, University of North Dakota, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)