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So I've been working in violence prevention for about 4 years now. I work exclusively in higher education and I've been with two institutions: an HBCU and a PWI.
Naturally, the work looks different in both places.
Naturally, the work looks different in both places.
For the last year, I've been working specifically in bystander intervention at a PWI. Every week, I talk to 30+ students and preach the importance of bystander intervention, the importance of community, and the importance of action when we see something that concerns us.
Now, I noted that I've done this in two different institutions and acknowledged the difference.
The curriculum and atmosphere are different. The core of bystander intervention is asking people to take care of their community and to them, their community is their school.
The curriculum and atmosphere are different. The core of bystander intervention is asking people to take care of their community and to them, their community is their school.
It's one thing to teach Black students to be active bystanders in a space with other Black students - it's another to ask Black students to be active bystanders in a space with they are often perceived as the harm itself.
I've ruminated on Christian Cooper & Amy Cooper; both played bystanders. Christian saw potential harm to a protected environment and asked Amy to stop - this is what bystanders do. Amy saw Christian as the potential harm and called the police - this is also what bystanders do.
A component of bystander intervention is "delegate". If you don't feel comfortable intervening, find someone who will. Often times, when I teach this, I briefly mention that delegating to the police is often enacting MORE violence instead of intervening.
