Bystander Intervention
for NOVA
Bystander Intervention
YOU MUST GET INVOLVED!
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First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me– and there was no one left to speak for me.
- Martin Niemoller (1892-1984)
German pastor who opposed Holocaust
Bystander Intervention
DISTURBING STATISTICS
• 1 in 4 college women will experience a completed and/or attempted rape. 1
• Approximately 2/3 of rapes are committed by someone known to the victim. 3
• In 1 in 3 sexual assaults, the perpetrator was intoxicated — 30% with alcohol, 4% with drugs.2
• 99% of people who rape are men, 60% are Caucasian 4
• In a 1980s study, only 5% of rape survivors reported the assault to the police.
1
Sources
1)
2)
3)
Warsaw, R. I Never Called it Rape. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994.
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics. 1998 Alcohol and Crime Study. 1998.
U.S. Department of Justice. 2005 National Crime Victimization Study. 2005.
4)
Greenfeld, L. A. Sex Offenses and Offenders: An Analysis of Data on Rape and Sexual Assault, Washington, D. C.: U.S. Department of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1997.
Bystander Intervention
DISTURBING STATISTICS
• On average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate
partners in this country every day. 1
• One in 12 women and one in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime, with an average
duration of almost two years. 2
• Seventy-six percent of female homicide victims were stalked prior to their deaths. 3
• A survey of high school students found that one in five had experienced forced sex
(rape).4
1)
2)
3)
4)
Sources
Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, 1993 -2001, February 2003. Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S. 1993-2004, 2006. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics. 1998 Alcohol and Crime
Study. 1998.
Tjaden and Nancy Thoennes, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence, National Institute of Justice,
2000Davis, T. C, G. Q. Peck, and J. M. Storment. "Acquantaince Rape and the High School Student." Journal of Adolescent Health 14
(1993): 220-24.
MacFarlane et al., “Stalking and Intimate Partner Femicide,” Homicide Studies 3, no. 4 (1998): 300-16
Davis, T. C, G. Q. Peck, and J. M. Storment. "Acquantaince Rape and the High School Student." Journal of Adolescent Health 14 (1993):
220-24.
Bystander Intervention
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT 1994, 2013
• Strengthened penalties for rape
• Rape Shield Law- offenders cannot use a victim’s past sexual
activity against them in court.
• Victims are not required to pay for rape exam (SANE) or
Protective Orders service.
• A victim’s Protective Order is recognized nation-wide
• Training for Law Enforcement Officers and court personnel
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (22,000 calls/month)
• VAWA expanded to bring gays, lesbian and transgender
people, Native Americans, and immigrants under its
protections (2013).
• Prohibits cyber-stalking (2013)
Bystander Intervention
YOU MAY BE A BYSTANDER
• Bystanders: largest group of people associated with violence.
• They greatly outnumber both the perpetrators and the victims.
• Bystanders may know a specific assault is happening or will
happen, see an assault or potential assault in progress, and may
anticipate an assault will happen.
• Bystanders have the power to stop assaults from occurring and
to get help for people who have been or may be victimized.
• Peer pressure from good people can deter a sexual assault and
stop it if it does occur.
You CAN make a difference!
Bystander Intervention
WHAT IS IT?
Bystander Intervention is a philosophy and strategy for
preventing various types of violence, including
bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and
dating/domestic violence.
Bystander Intervention
WHAT CAN BYSTANDERS DO TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
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Believe someone who discloses a sexual assault, abusive
relationship, or experience with stalking or cyber-stalking.
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Be respectful of yourself and others. Make sure any sexual act is
OK with your partner if you initiate.
•
Protect your friends and fellow NOVA students. If you see
someone who appears to be in trouble, ask if they are okay.
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Speak up. If someone, to include a friend, says something
offensive, derogatory, or abusive, let them know their behavior is
wrong and you don’t want to be around it. Don’t laugh at racist,
sexist, or homophobic jokes. Challenge your peers to be respectful.
•
Get involved. Join a campus or community group working on
these issues.
Bystander Intervention
POTENTIAL SITUATIONS
• You see a friend going home with someone when your friend is
drunk or high.
• While walking to your car, you see a male with clinched fists
speaking angrily towards a female.
• You are in class, and before class starts, you overhear fellow
students using disparaging language toward an ethnic or racial group.
• You notice a fellow student who is being picked on because of his
or her sexual orientation.
• A friend shows you nude photos of a classmate.
Bystander Intervention
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Bystander Intervention
OPTIONS
• Evaluate the situation and people involved to
determine your best move. You could directly
intervene, or request help from friends of each
person.
• If the person reacts badly, try a different approach.
Bystander Intervention
TIPS FOR INTERVENING
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Approach everyone as a friend.
Do not be antagonistic.
Avoid using violence.
Be honest and direct whenever possible.
Recruit help if necessary.
Keep yourself safe.
If things get out of hand, contact the police.
Bystander Intervention
SEPARATION STRATEGY
• Step in and separate the two people. Let them
know your concerns and reasons for intervening. Be
a friend and let them know you are acting in their
best interests. Ensure each person gets home safely.
Bystander Intervention
DISTRACTION STRATEGY
•Use a distraction to redirect the focus to someone
or somewhere else:
•“Hey, I need to talk with you.”
or
•“Hey, this party is lame. Let’s go somewhere else.”
or
•Did I tell you about this great book I was reading
on Heisenburg Indeterminacy?
Bystander Intervention
RECRUIT MORE HELP
• Recruit the help of friends of both people to step
in as a group.
Bystander Intervention
ACTIONS TO TAKE AT NOVA
• NOVA Cares Reporting
https://publicdocs.maxient.com/incidentreport.php?NorthernVirginiaCC
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Contact NOVA HR
Call NOVA Police
Speak with a NOVA campus Dean of Students
Speak with a NOVA counselor
Enlist help from a NOVA faculty or staff member
Call NOVA Sexual Assault Services
Contact Student Mental Health and Behavior office
Bystander Intervention
SUMMARY
• Good people outnumber aggressors.
• Society considers assaultive behavior reprehensible.
• Intervene to make a difference.
• Strategies: separate, distract, recruit more help.
• Call police if danger is imminent and apparent.
Bystander Intervention
RESOURCES
•For more information, contact:
• NOVA Sexual Assault Services
24-Hour Phone Line: 703-338-0834
nova.sas@nvcc.edu
• NOVA Police Department
24-Hour Dispatch: 703-764-5000
PoliceDispatch@nvcc.edu
NOVA’S LIVESAFE MOBILE APP
• Your free personal safety app
 Send your location to NOVA police to expedite police emergency response
 Report tips anonymously to NOVA police
 Provide anonymous safety/security suggestions to the college police
 Let friends/family monitor your location, so you never have to walk alone
 Have emergency plans and information at your fingertips
• How to get the app
 Visit the iTunes or Google Play store, depending upon your smartphone, and download the
“LiveSafe” app (blue shield icon)
 Choose NOVA from the list of schools that appears once you’ve downloaded
 Fill in your name/contact info for (emergency use only)