Active Bystander Training

What is Active Bystander Training?

An “active bystander” describes somebody who takes positive action to prevent or reduce harm to others when they encounter prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or identity-based violence. Anybody can be an active bystander – whether in moments of acute danger or in the actions they take to tackle long-term injustices. 

This interactive 3-hour online or in-person course is led by the identity-based violence prevention charity, Protection Approaches, and was developed in partnership with the Britain’s East and Southeast Asian Network. The expert-led sessions guide small groups of up to 30 participants through a series of discussions to explore how they can play a role in tackling identity-based harms in their community, school, or workplace.

The content:

The content, developed in consultation with experts and practitioners, is tailored to the needs of each group. The training has a minimum duration of 3 hours but can also be delivered over a half or full day. Content includes:

• What it means to be an active bystander: Through group discussion, participants explore what being an active bystander means to them.
• Standing up for victims: Working through a series of scenarios, participants consider and learn what they can do to safely and confidently reduce harm when they encounter prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or identity-based violence such as a racist attack in a supermarket or an inappropriate comment from a colleague or friend.
• Principles and strategies: Facilitators share a series of principles and strategies that participants can consider if they encounter prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or identity-based violence.
• Proactive prevention: Returning to the scenarios, participants reflect on the root causes of prejudice and discrimination before discussing ways they could contribute to dismantling those root causes and building safer, more inclusive communities.