Bystander Intervention

Everyone has been in the situation of a bystander before. You see a situation that appears concerning. Lots of other people are around, but nobody seems to be worried or getting involved. You too, decide it's not your place to be involved, after all, no one else seems upset and if intervention is needed someone else will get involved, right?

Not necessarily! The phenomenon where people are less likely to help in a problematic situation if there are other people around than they would be if they were on their own is called the bystander effect. It's very common, but also very dangerous. The Step Up! program is designed to help individuals understand the bystander effect and learn skills and strategies to overcome the natural inclination to remain a bystander.

Our goal is to have a safe, healthy community on the Island and a part of that is getting involved and helping others when a situation of concern arises. This could be talking to a friend about an alcohol or drug problem, intervening at a party to help keep someone out of danger, or even calling the police when you witness a crime, or someone suspicious spending time near someone's car or residence. The key is to overcome that initial nervousness do something - Step Up!