What is an active bystander?
An active bystander is a person who witnesses sexual harassment or hears about it after the incident occurs, and takes action to:
- identify,
- call out, or
- talk to others about sexual harassment.
Anyone at work can be an active bystander, including co-workers, managers, supervisors, human resource employees or harassment contact officers.
Knowing about workplace sexual harassment, and being able to identify when someone is feeling upset, can help you decide when to intervene.
40% of workplace sexual harassment incidents are witnessed by at least one person, but in most cases the person does nothing.
How can I be an active bystander?
As a bystander, your safety, and the safety of the people around you, is key to any successful intervention.
Depending on how safe you feel, you could opt to:
Disrupt
Talking a direct or indirect approach to challenging a behaviour
Relate
Checking in with the person being targeted to support them
Escalate
Talking, or supporting the person to take formal steps
You might choose one, a few, or all of these strategies – it’s up to you. Attend our Workplace Sexual Harassment and Active Bystander Training to learn more.