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Week 5: Bystander Intervention

Monday July 21, 2014

Session5_a

During this session, we discussed bystander accountability, focusing on the importance of taking responsibility after witnessing violent incidents. We asked the students to get into groups and talk about scenarios that might require their intervention, such as helping a friend who is a domestic violence survivor.

Session5_b

The most surprising aspect of the discussion was some students’ rationalization of which situations required their assistance. Most students claimed that, unless the “guy is hitting the girl,” they would not intervene in a verbal altercation (even if the girl was frightened) because it was “not their business.” Fortunately, most of the boys understood these issues and knew the proper resources to contact for further assistance.

I believe that the students ultimately need to realize that they should not ignore the abuse. They can be a positive influence in their community by intervening in both physical or verbal abuse. Everyone contributed to our discussion, and the diverse opinions made the discussion even more intimate and valuable.

As told by Becky’s Fund team member Natalia Langner