ACTIVE BYSTANDER STRATEGIES

THE 3 D'S: DIRECT, DISTRACT AND DELEGATE

The concept of the "active bystander" is vital to eradicating harassment. It refers to any employee who, upon witnessing inappropriate behavior, chooses not to remain silent.

To intervene safely and effectively, the "Green Dots" method is recommended, which proposes three fundamental strategies: Direct, Distract and Delegate.

These tactics allow anyone, regardless of rank, to interrupt a risky situation without necessarily putting themselves in physical or occupational danger. The "Direct" strategy involves addressing the situation head-on.

If Alexander the Great saw a general harassing a scribe, he might approach and firmly say, "General, that comment is inappropriate for the court-martial." The "Distract" strategy seeks to interrupt the incident by diverting attention.

If Aristotle noticed a tense situation between two disciples, he might interrupt by asking the time or requesting urgent help with a scroll, thus breaking the dynamic of harassment.

Finally, "Delegating" is about seeking help from someone with more authority or ability to handle the conflict, such as calling security or Human Resources if you don't feel able to intervene alone.

HOW TO INTERVENE SAFELY WITHOUT ESCALATING THE CONFLICT

Intervention does not require aggressive confrontation. Sometimes body language (a disapproving look or not laughing at a sexist joke) is enough to signal that a community norm has been violated. It is critical to assess the risk before acting.

If the situation threatens to become violent, the priority is physical safety; in such cases, direct intervention may be dangerous and one should opt to seek outside help or authorities.

Imagine the playwright William Shakespeare witnessing an actor cornering a female costumer.

Instead of initiating a physical fight, Shakespeare could use humor carefully to defuse the tension or simply stand nearby to let the aggressor know he is being watched.

Naming the offense ("That sounded offensive") without attacking the person can open a space for rational dialogue.

The goal is to protect the victim and stop the behavior, not necessarily to "win" an argument with the harasser.

COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

All employees, not just managers, have an ethical and often legal responsibility to report harassment. The culture of silence is the bully's greatest accomplice.

Modern policies protect the bystander from retaliation; it is illegal for an employer to punish someone for helping a victim or reporting a suspicion in good faith.

By intervening, it reinforces the organization's values and demonstrates that toxic behavior has no place in the work community.

If Florence Nightingale observed that a nurse was being subjected to constant adva