Bystander Intervention Training

We at It’s Not a Compliment (INAC), acknowledge that not everyone is equipped with the knowledge or skills to speak up or intervene during instances of street harassment. Especially since common narratives often work to minimise, or desensitise us to the impact of street harassment. 

We have therefore designed this Bystander Intervention Training. With Victoria’s current COVID-19 restrictions in place, our trainings have been made free and available for online delivery.

Duration: 2.5 hrs (this includes two 5-min breaks) 

Dates: TBC 

Capacity: 15 people / session 

Register: INAC Eventbrite Page

Due to the interactive nature of these workshops, our sessions will be limited to 15 people per session. We hope that smaller groups will give participants more time and anonymity to engage in discussions wholeheartedly.

What You Will Learn:

We have therefore designed this Bystander Intervention Training with four goals in mind. At the end of these trainings, we hope that participants leave feeling more empowered with the following skills and knowledge:

1. Being able to recognise when someone needs help

2. To act as active, empathetic bystanders

3. To disrupt the myths and narratives which trivialise and normalise street harassment within their own communities, and

4. To realise that they each have the power to build safer communities

What Each Session Includes:

First half: The training will begin with facilitators and participants discussing what street harassment is, and how it has become so normalised. We believe these discussions are important as they draw attention to the severity and widespread nature of street harassment for many different people. We also hope that this would reduce the resistance and stigma around speaking up about such issues. 

Second half: This part will focus on what it means to be an active bystander, followed by the current best practices on methods of intervention. This portion is intended to equip participants with the skills and knowledge to safely and confidently intervene––should they ever bear witness to street harassment.

Acknowledgement:

This training is designed to provide a safe and interactive space for participants, where ideas can be shared, explored and discussed among communities through engaging activities. As a grassroots community organisation, we want to acknowledge that we are not experts on any of these topics. We want to focus instead on the knowledge and resources that are already present in individuals, and building on their skill-sets and ideas of accountability from there. 

Please keep an eye out on our socials, and subscribe to our mailing list to stay up-to-date with our 2022 trainings schedule. You are also welcome to register any expressions of interest using this form.