Election Situations: Bystander Intervention

An active bystander training teaches effective skills for assessing, de-escalating, and diffusing a problematic situation, such as intimidation, harassment, abuse, physical violence, etc. Active bystander training focuses on a bystander observing a problematic situation and determining if and how to intervene. This is distinct from self-assertion training that teaches how to de-escalate and diffuse unwanted attention when you are being attacked. An active bystander is someone who not only witnesses a situation but takes steps to speak up or step in to keep a situation from escalating or to disrupt a problematic situation.

Ongoing political crises and specific events have combined to make the general elections particularly contentious at the level of President and down-ballot races across the country; the prospect of violence is real. This session will discuss the challenges that voters, election workers, demonstrators, event organizers and others will face at town halls, candidate events, during the voting, vote counting, and results declaration periods, and how ABI tools may be used to protect people.  Participants will practice these skills in multiple election-based scenarios and discuss next steps.

This is an interactive, participatory, workshop designed for anyone, no prior studies of bystander intervention is necessary to participate.