PRESS RELEASE FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Last month we ran a campaign encouraging bystanders, when it is safe to do so, to ask ‘are you okay?’ to the victim when they witness street harassment in public spaces. The campaign received a lot of support, and many people have been in touch, wanting to know more about when it is safe to intervene and how to safely intervene when they witness street harassment.
Today, on National Personal Safety Day, we are delighted to bring you the free, one-hour long, expert-led, online webinar “Stand-Up against Street Harassment” bystander intervention training, delivered by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, in partnership with L’Oreal Paris.
This training is highly relevant as a bystander response to all forms of street harassment, including sexual harassment, disability harassment, harassment against men, ethnic minority, marginalised groups, and all forms of hate crime, empowering the learner to know how to support someone who is being victimised.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
There is a selection of dates and times to choose from. The training is only one hour long so easy to fit it into a busy schedule. If you would like to attend this free training, please sign up today.
MORE ABOUT THE STAND-UP TRAINING
Bystander intervention is the term for witness action to defuse situations and make public spaces safer. The Stand-Up training (sponsored by L’Oréal Paris and delivered by Suzy Lamplugh Trust) focuses on the “5 D’s” intervention programme originally pioneered by the international NGO Right to Be.
It encourages those who witness harassment to act by:
- Distracting the perpetrator
- Delegating by asking for help
- Documenting the harassment
- Direct intervention by speaking up in the moment, and
- Delaying by checking to see if the person is okay
The programme drives awareness of street harassment with a call-to-action on a global scale. By opening the public eye to the scale of harassment that women in particular experience, Stand-Up aims to simultaneously discourage harassers, support victims and encourage bystanders to intervene with the aim to drive a cultural shift in the global response to street and public harassment.
The training is open to everyone – action from people of all genders and ages is vital.
Although there is a long way to go and certainly not the only way to end harassment, given the primary responsibility lies with the harasser, not the harassed, bystander training can be a step towards supporting and empowering victims of and witnesses to street harassment.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team