Bystander Intervention and
Suicide Awareness
LD 4-2
Training Objective
• Task: Apply the steps of bystander
intervention to suicide awareness and
prevention
• Condition: Given a block of instruction and
several scenarios
• Standard: Actively participate in the discussion
of the scenarios, applying ACE and bystander
intervention techniques to safely resolve the
situation
Bystander Intervention
• “Bystander intervention” is when someone who
observes a situation (such as harassment, hazing,
assault, etc.) takes safe and effective actions to step
in and offer assistance.
• At The Citadel, we call our bystander intervention
program “Step it Up.”
Five Steps
• Notice the situation or issue
• Decide if the situation or issue demands
action
• Decide if you have the responsibility to act
• Choose what form of assistance to use
• Intervene safely
Notice the situation or issue
• What are some of the common warning signs
that a cadet may be having suicidal thoughts?
– Which can be determined passively?
– Which require active effort to notice?
• What does that active effort look like?
– As a squad sergeant?
– As a friend?
– As a roommate?
Decide if the situation or issue
demands action
• If the warning signs are present, you must take
action by directly and unequivocally asking the cadet
about his intentions
• An example would be “I can see that you’re
distressed.” “Have you thought of hurting yourself or
someone else?” or “Do you wish you were dead?”
• Explore ambivalence; ask the cadet specifically about
his reasons to die versus the reasons to live
• Talk openly about suicide, and be willing to listen and
allow the cadet to express her feelings
Decide if you have the responsibility to
act
• A good guide to action is the Ask-Care-Escort
(ACE) suicide intervention acronym
• In every single case, you have the affirmative
responsibility to Ask and to Care
• Unless you are 100% certain after those two
steps that no threat exists, you have the
affirmative responsibility to Escort the cadet to
help
• If he will not go with you, call someone to come
help you and stay with the cadet until help arrives
Choose what form of assistance to use
• Cadet Chain of Command including Human Affairs
Team
• Tactical Officer
• Infirmary
• CARE
• CADIC
• Counseling Center
• Chaplain or Campus Ministry Team
• Trusted Faculty or Staff member
• Public Safety
• Others?
Intervene safely
• Each situation is different, but possible
interventions include:
– Active listening
– Calmly controlling the situation without using force
– Removing any lethal means, such as weapons or pills
– Escorting the cadet to the TAC, the Infirmary, or
whatever the best place is for him to get help
– Staying with the cadet until she receives appropriate
help. Don’t leave her alone even for a short period of
time.
A-C-E Scenario Part 1
• It is 2200 on a Tuesday night and you are just
returning to your room from the library.
• As you open the door, you see your roommate
quickly put what looked like a knife in his
drawer and shut it
• His eyes are red as if he’d been crying
• You ask “what’s wrong?” and he says
“nothing.”
• What else do you ASK him?
A-C-E Scenario Part 2
• Eventually your roommate tells you that he
feels overwhelmingly alone, that he has no
friends here, and feels like he has
disappointed everyone at home
• What do you say and do to show him you
CARE?
A-C-E Scenario Part 3
• As you are talking, you notice your roommate
has several cut marks up and down his arm.
Some are healed and some look fairly recent.
• You tell him you think it might help if he talked
to the Human Affairs Officer but he absolutely
refuses to go with you, tells you to leave him
alone, and that he just wishes it was all over.
• You realize he needs help but since he won’t
go, how do you ESCORT him to help?
Bystander Intervention Scenario
• You are at a College of Charleston
party at 1100 on a Saturday
• You look out the window and see
a college girl you know sitting on
the curb holding a beer, sobbing,
and looking nervously at a
prescription bottle
• You know she has a history of
depression, her boyfriend just left
her, and she has been taking pain
medicine for a bad back
• Her roommate and three of your
Citadel friends are also at the
party
• Steps of Bystander Intervention
– Notice the situation or issue
– Decide if the situation or issue
demands action
– Decide if you have the
responsibility to act
– Choose what form of assistance to
use
– Intervene safely
Bystander Intervention Scenario
• You’ve noticed the situation, how do you
decide if it demands action?
– What is the potential risk involved?
– How do you approach the girl?
– What questions do you ask?
Bystander Intervention Scenario
• You’ve decided the situation demands action,
how do you decide if you have the responsibility
to act?
– What is your duty?
– Is there anyone present more qualified than you to
act?
– Do you have the ability to positively influence the
situation?
– If you do not act, who will?
– What are the potential consequences of your
inaction?
– Are there any personal safety issues to consider?
Bystander Intervention Scenario
• You’ve decided you have the responsibility to act,
how do you choose what form of assistance to
use?
– Is the danger immediate, short-term, or longer-term?
Is it temporary, permanent, or in-between?
– What resources are immediately available to you?
– What other resources are required and can you get
them?
– What can you do and what do you need help with?
– If you have decided assistance is required, what do
you do if the girl refuses to cooperate?
Bystander Intervention Scenario
• You’ve decided on a course of action, how do
you intervene safely?
– What lethal items must be immediately be
secured?
– What do you do if the girl becomes violent such as
throwing her beer bottle at you?
– How can your three Citadel friends help keep
things safe?
Open Discussion
• What does “intrusive leadership” mean and
how does it apply to suicide prevention?
• How do you balance a person’s right to privacy
with your responsibilities as a leader, friend,
or good citizen to care for them?
• Any recommendations for improving this
class?