Consent & Respect Staff

We can pretty much all agree that sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, discrimination, and harassment are bad things. Taking action as “bystanders” is what we can do about it.

The word “bystander” is commonly used to describe someone who is not a part of a situation but is close enough to either observe or hear about the situation. In this case, we want to expand the definition a little further to say that every person who is aware of sexual violence or harassment is a bystander to some extent.

Each person in a society contributes to its culture and mindset. Each person on campus contributes to the campus culture. You, as a member of , have the opportunity to stand for something or against something.

What does this mean in practical application? You may or may not be a witness to someone being sexually coerced or harassed. But you have a voice to speak out against it. You may not see someone being assaulted or harassed, but you can support efforts to fight it.

Rather than “standing by” and waiting for something to happen, you can take action where you are right now.

Each and every one of us has a powerful influence on our social circle – our peers. Even research has shown that what a person considers acceptable and unacceptable in situations is determined to some extent by the thoughts and attitudes of their peers. And as we discussed in the previous section, what you think others will say or do may influence how you react to coercive pressures.

This means we all have the opportunity to become empowered bystanders.