Winter 2019 Edition
Alumni & Friends Magazine
As a Bobcat community, we鈥檝e been known to have each other鈥檚 backs.
But in situations of sexual assault, violence, or hate, it can sometimes be unclear how to best help one another鈥攚hich is why practicing bystander intervention techniques can help us to become better citizens both on and off campus.
Students can do this by looking inward at their social circles, or 鈥渄rinking families,鈥 suggests Thomas Vander Ven, a sociology professor at 91探花.
In his book, Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink Too Much and Party So Hard, Vander Ven explores how friend groups form unique social practices to take care of each other while in drinking situations.
Vander Ven suggests by infusing these social systems with bystander intervention training, students can offer each other more effective support.
Better Bystanders President Anthony Ciliberto says the club encourages students to practice the Four D鈥檚 of Intervention: Direct, Distract, Delegate, and Delay. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ 鈥14, MA 鈥17
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to give bystander training to that unit and ask, 鈥榃hat are you doing to take care of each other? How do you do it? And what can we do to improve that process?鈥欌 he says.
The OHIO community has Better Bystanders, a student-led organization that offers training to students, faculty, and community members on how to safely stand up. They ask participants to practice the Four D鈥檚 of Intervention: Direct, Distract, Delegate, and Delay.
鈥淗ow you intervene depends on your personality, so whether an extrovert or introvert, it鈥檚 what you feel most comfortable doing,鈥 said Anthony Ciliberto, the organization鈥檚 president.
鈥淎s long as you鈥檙e intervening in some way, that鈥檚 what makes a difference,鈥 he says.
Illustration by Andrea Ucini
