Bystander Intervention Techniques
As an Active Bystander, you can help create a safe environment
Safe and effective ways to stand up for others
We all have a responsibility to create a safe environment, but we often don’t know what to do when faced with a situation that may compromise our own safety. When we intervene, we don’t just minimize the impact on the person being harmed.
We also start to shift the culture towards one that prioritizes respectful sport experiences that are safe for everyone. Alone, we can’t shift the culture, but together our actions matter
Right to Be’s 5Ds Approach to Bystander Intervention
Right to Be has developed the “5Ds of Bystander Intervention: to empower people to act, while staying safe. Four of these methodsare discreet, so a bystander can make a difference while keeping themselves safe
The 5Ds are:
1. Distract – Take an indirect approach to de-escalate the situation
2. Delegate – Get help from someone else
3. Document – Write down what happened, or record the incident on video where appropriate
4. Delay – After the incident, check in with the person who may have been harmed
5. Direct – When safe, speak up. Be firm and clear.
Additional Resources from Right to Be
Right to Be provides free trainings to the public, as well as customized training experiences for businesses, organizations, schools, and colleges.
Their training sessions are oriented to empower individuals to make a change and channel attention to simple, creative, and effective action. Based on the 5Ds methodology, Right To Be teamed up with partners to create a series of animated videos as well as many other resources to help individuals apply their learnings.
