2015 STUDENTAFFAIRS.COM CASE STUDY Jennifer Hornaday Kelly Schiess Loren Papin Marguerite Frazier Indiana State University

 Bystander intervention programs focus on promoting pro-social behaviors which occur when someone acts to help another person with no expectation of self-gain. These interventions can be both direct and indirect in emergencies and non-emergencies alike.  Bystander intervention was chosen for this case study because it promotes positive community building and places responsibility for creating a safe environment on the individuals living in the residence halls.  Bystander intervention focuses on empowering students to help each other by gaining the confidence and techniques to safely intervene. This can be as simple as reaching out to an isolated person or reporting dangerous incidents to police or resident assistants.

 Proposition 1 – Every individual exists in a continually changing world of experience of which the individual is the center.  Bystanders have the unique opportunity to learn from experiences around them, creating opportunities to foster growth via intervention.  Proposition 2 – The individual reacts to the field as it is experienced and perceived. This perceptual field is, for the individual, reality.  Bystander intervention training is designed to help students perceive incidents as something they have the ability to change. This can cause a shift in their interpretation of reality and empower proactive behaviors in bullying situations.

 Proposition 16 – Any experience which is inconsistent with the organization or structure of self may be perceived as a threat and the more of these perceptions there are, the more rigidly the self-structure is organized to maintain itself.  Proposition 17 – Under certain conditions, involving primarily complete absence of any threat to the self structure, experiences which are inconsistent with it may be perceived, and examined, and the structure of self revised to assimilate and include such experiences.  Bystanders may not intervene because they are afraid of ridicule from peers, danger to themselves, or mistakenly intervening when help is not needed. Bystander intervention can provide students with the knowledge and methods leading to a restructuring of the self and the confidence to intervene.

 Developing competence  Through bystander intervention training, students can acquire knowledge and increased skills that will allow them to intervene in situations occurring in everyday life.  Managing emotions  Bystander intervention can help students learn to appropriately control and express their emotions, allowing them to stay level- headed when help is needed.  Developing purpose  Bystander intervention aims to create meaningful commitments and strong interpersonal relationships in students. It can help students make and commit to decisions to help, even in the face of opposition from peers.

 Heightened awareness  Create opportunities for students to learn about others experiences  A sense of responsibility  Videos and other materials place the responsibility for having a safe community back on the community members  Perceptions of peer norms about helping  Recognize students for pro-social behaviors  Weighing the costs and benefits of intervening  Educate students on appropriate times and ways to intervene  Confidence in ability  Create professional role models in the community to boost confidence in students who consider intervening  Active Bystander Programs  Step-up! Step-up!  Green Dot Green Dot

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