How would Mount Union change if it was a community full of upstanders? How can we be proactive and impact campus culture in a way to reduce all harm by actively disrupting violence and oppression?
If you want to create your own answer to these questions for yourself, a group, department, and/or student organization, you can request an upstander training by contacting the diversity and Title IX team at TitleIX@mountunion.edu
The Bystander Effect
The bystander effect is a social phenomenon in which the more witnesses or “bystanders” that are present during a crisis, the less likely it is that someone intervenes as individuals will incorrectly assume that someone else will respond.
Upstander
An upstander is someone who witnesses behavior that could lead to something high-risk or harmful and makes the choice to intervene to make things better. Fighting the bystander effect, an upstander recognizes and accepts that they might be the only one who can act. It is important to note that an upstander should not put themselves in a situation where they can face significant harm.
My Role as an Upstander
As a member of the Mount Union community, we hope that by engaging in this training, you will gain the tools and resources to confidently intervene in high-risk incidents in order to support other members of the community and reduce the risk of harm.