Bystander Response Toolkit: Your Ultimate Guide On How To Respond To Critical Emergencies

Team Her Circle | Nov 30, 2021

You may be from any part of the world, but the fact that we live in a world where the threat of violence and assault, especially for women, is ever-present is undeniable. The World Health Organization says that globally, around one out of three women—or 30 per cent of all women—have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. This estimate amounts to 736 million women worldwide who have had to face violence in many forms—a number that is as staggering as it is alarming.

UN Women recently revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to helplines regarding intimate partner violence and domestic abuse have increased manifold, even five-fold in some countries. They also said that less than 40 per cent of women who experience violence of this sort reach out for help—which leaves a staggering 60 per cent of women worldwide who don’t have any support of any kind through their experiences.

And while these statistics are shocking, we have, on the other hand, the increasing problem of bystander apathy, as especially exhibited in the Philadelphia sexual assault case . People who are witness to an active act of violence, particularly against women, are not intervening. Scientists say this is because of something called diffusion of responsibility: when you’re in a crowd, the responsibility to intervene during an ongoing crime gets diffused, leading to nobody choosing to act individually.

But this, given the statistics about violence against women, needs to change if we all, collectively, want to eliminate violence against women. How do you go about it? Read on to find out.

Are You A Bystander?
“The measure of a civilization is in the courage, not of its soldiers, but of its bystanders.”
- Jack McDevitt, American Sci-Fi Writer

The bystander is always a potential witness—this much is pretty well known to those who enforce the law all around the world. But for those who don’t know what being a bystander actually entails, here goes. The New York State Health Department (NYSHD), in its comprehensive bystander intervention toolkit, explains that a bystander is any individual who has observed violence or witnessed the conditions that lead to or perpetuate violence. Yes, that’s a huge description because it holds a bystander not just as a witness of a crime but as a person who, thanks to their own agency, can analyse a situation where violence is likely to happen.

By this definition, a bystander is not someone who is directly involved in the act of violence, but is potentially very powerful as someone who can choose to intervene, discourage, speak up, and even prevent or interrupt an act of violence. By being present and choosing to intervene, a bystander can indeed make a lot of difference in the lives of victims of violence.

Understanding Bystander Intervention
“What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander.”
- Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate, Holocaust Survivor

So, in effect, being a bystander who intervenes is a very empowering act. But there is more to bystander intervention than just jumping into a situation to help the victim fight back or meting out any kind of vigilante justice, like beating up a molester in public. This is because, as the NYSHD explains, bystander intervention is a skill that requires adequate knowledge to be able to assist in the prevention of violence effectively. By wielding this knowledge, the bystander also stays safe while intervening—a crucial factor, because many bystanders, especially women, don’t come forward assuming that intervening will jeopardise their own safety.

This approach teaches that a bystander has specific roles and can do specific things to prevent violence, especially sexual violence. This approach, when taught to entire communities—say, for example, all students at a university campus or people living in the same neighbourhood—can not only prevent such acts of violence, but also disengage people from ideas and behaviours that support sexual violence. So, bystander intervention can range from stepping in physically to stop an act or calling the police to stopping friends and family from using sexist language that creates an environment where sexual violence may be overlooked. The NYSHD says that bystander intervention has been proved to be “an effective and important prevention strategy to decrease rape myths, increase pro-social bystander behavior and increase self-efficacy.”

It’s very important to remember that in this digital age, sexual assault and violence have also gone digital, as evident from the Boys Locker Room incident in 2020. Being a bystander to crimes committed online, on social media platforms as well as instant messaging services like WhatsApp, is now a huge possibility. So, being aware of cybercrime resources you can reach out to as a bystander is also critical.

How Can You Intervene Safely As A Bystander?
As mentioned before, there are many ways a bystander can safely intervene—and this is amply proved by the recent case from Kentucky, where a teenaged girl was rescued from her abuser after she used the hand signal for domestic abuse to motorists passing by.

So, all you effectively need to do as a bystander is be aware of your surroundings, know the red flags and signals, and simply report to law enforcement what you have observed. Of course, not all situations are the same, and your reaction as a bystander needs to be tailored according to the need of the situation. For this, the University of Columbia’s bystander intervention programme, Step UP!, recommends the following steps:

• Notice the event

• Interpret the situation and identify what the problem is

• Take personal responsibility for what you can do

• Know how to help out in a situation like this

• And finally, step up and intervene

As per the American Friends Service Committee, a non-governmental organisation that was founded in 1917, bystander intervention can be even more nuanced and safe by following a few rules. Every bystander must know and use these five Ds.

1. Distract: Distracting either the harasser or the victim in a non-threatening manner can safely and subtly de-escalate a situation where violence is being committed simply by derailing the flow of the scene.

2. Delegate: Bring in a third party to help you de-escalate the situation. If the third party is a person in authority (not necessarily law enforcement) then that’s even better. For example, if the event is happening at a store or restaurant, call in the manager immediately.

3. Direct: Respond directly by addressing the harasser confidently, assertively and calmly. Point out that what they are doing is criminal. Intervene physically if necessary, but assess the threat level before jumping in.

4. Document: In this day and age, documenting incidents of violence or conflict on your phone is the easiest thing to do, and often quite safe and leading to good results. If you have footage of an incident, make sure you submit it to the law enforcement authorities. Never post videos or pictures of such incidents on social media without the express consent of the victim, as it can harm them if released prematurely or before police action can be taken.

5. Delay: It’s human to be scared of intervening as a bystander, especially if you feel threatened or unsafe yourself. In such a situation, don’t suppress the event completely. Take responsibility for what you witnessed and reach out to the victim as well as law enforcement. Reaching out to the victim and offering help will also ensure that the victim feels supported instead of feeling lonely and helpless.

Resources Every Bystander Should Have
Here are a few Indian resources every bystander must be aware of so that you can reach out to them for support and guidance when in need.

Organisations for support against sexual violence:

Sneha Foundation (For Adults): 9167535765

Jagori (For Adults): 8800996640 (24/7)

National Child Helpline (For Children): 1098

Arpan (For Children): 022 2686 2444 (10AM – 6.30PM)

Organisations for counselling and support for emotional abuse:

Therapize: https://www.therapizeindia.com/

Nyay’ri: https://pinklegal.in/nyayri/

Pink Legal: https://pinklegal.in/

Organisations that provide socio-legal aid for physical abuse:

Sneha Foundation (For Adults): 9167535765

Nyay’ri: https://pinklegal.in/nyayri/