This summer, the PHH team attended a Hollaback! training session to learn the best tools and strategies for bystander intervention. Learn more about how to practice better public allyship by attending a workshop.
This summer, the Public Humanities Hub team attended a bystander intervention workshop hosted by Hollaback!, an organization whose mission is to end harassment in all its forms by transforming the culture that perpetuates hate and harassment against women, LGBTQ+ folks, people of colour, and people of other marginalized identities. We learned which tools we could reach for when we witness harassment in order to move from bystander to intervener, disrupt the encounter, and support the person targeted. When safe to do so, could I Distract by starting a conversation with the person targeted, and create a safe barrier between them and the harasser? Could I Delegate by seeking assistance from someone else with more authority in the given setting? Could I Document by taking a video to give to the person targeted so they can decide how to use it on their journey to closure and healing? What about providing support after a Delay, asking the person targeted how they are doing after the incident has passed? Is it safe enough to be Direct, addressing the harasser and harassment directly and asserting that the person targeted deserves to be treated with respect? Different scenarios call for different approaches. Let’s all take an active role in creating communities of care.
Learn more about the 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention and attend a training session online.