Active Bystander Training

Kindly funded by Liverpool City Council and delivered by RASA Merseyside, this training is available to professionals and residents of the Liverpool City region.

What is Active Bystander Training?

Active Bystander Training is an evidence-informed programme that empowers ordinary people to safely recognise, challenge and prevent behaviours that can lead to sexual harassment, abuse and violence.

The training is based on a simple principle - everyone has a role to play in creating safer communities. Rather than expecting people to intervene in unsafe situations directly, participants learn a range of safe and practical ways to respond that suit the situation and their own confidence.

The programme helps people:

• recognise inappropriate, abusive or concerning behaviour.
• challenge attitudes and behaviours that contribute to violence against women and girls.
• intervene safely using a range of practical techniques.
• support someone who may have experienced harassment or abuse.
• understand how small actions can prevent harm and change social norms.

At RASA, we teach the internationally recognised 5 Ds of Active Bystander Intervention:

• direct – address the behaviour if it is safe to do so.
• distract – interrupt the situation without confrontation.
• delegate – ask someone else, such as security or a friend, for help.
• delay – check in with the person afterwards and offer support.
• document – record what happened where appropriate and safe.

Why is it important?

Violence against women and girls is not inevitable. By increasing awareness and giving people the confidence to act safely, we can help prevent harmful behaviours from escalating and create communities where abusive behaviour is less likely to be tolerated.