Active Bystander

Health Promotion

Being an active bystander means you help interrupt problematic or potentially harmful situations – especially those which include comments or behaviors that constitute or promote sexual or discriminatory violence, bullying, harassment, or intimidation. Active bystanders also take action in situations that involve alcohol or other drug emergencies and mental health crises. 

Being an active bystander is largely about challenging and changing the social and cultural norms that make problematic or harmful behavior acceptable. When we intervene, we start shifting the community around us into one that is centered around respect, consent, and care. 

Intervention Styles

Intervention is not one size fits all. You should select the intervention style that feels right for you, and works best for the situation.

  • Direct – You feel comfortable acting as the primary helper.
  • Distract – You create a distraction or other interruption to halt the potentially harmful situation.
  • Delegate – You request assistance from a qualified resource such as an RA, Campus Safety, Denver Police, Title IX, or Student Outreach & Support.
  • Delay – You don't feel comfortable saying something in the moment, so you follow up with the person within 24 hours to address their behavior. Please remember, assuming it's safe to intervene, you should not delay when responding to a high risk situation like a mental health crisis, severe intoxication, or sexual assault.

"Intervene: DU"- Active Bystander Workshops

All incoming first-year and transfer undergraduate students are required to attend an active bystander intervention workshop called, "Intervene: DU." Sign up for a workshop today!

Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) must also complete additional "harm reduction" training each year. Request a harm reduction workshop to learn more about these important topics and satisfy your organization's requirement.

Interested in helping reduce harm in our community? Follow Thrive Health Promotion on Instagram and stay up to date on upcoming events and workshops.