Ending Violence on Campus | Student Health Services | SIU

We each play a role in ending violence on campus. Here you will find ways that you can be an active part of making the SIUC campus safe and inclusive for everyone.

Bystander Intervention

Have you ever seen or heard something that was not right and wanted to intervene but didn’t know how? Bystander intervention is a unique strategy that can be used to help you respond in difficult situations. Here’s how it works:

A bystander is a person who witnesses a harmful situation but may not know what to do to help. The bystander approach outlines five simple steps to help us take action.

1. See Something Happening - Practice becoming aware of your surroundings.
2. Decide it’s a Problem - When you see something happening, take responsibility. Violence affects all of us.
3. Decide to Help - Knowing there is a problem, but ignoring it, isn’t enough. You have to make the decision to help!
4. Know What to Do - Knowing your options before something comes up is key.
5. Take Action!

If you think something isn’t right, it probably isn’t. But remember that your safety comes first. Don’t put yourself in danger when trying to help. If danger is suspected, dial 9-1-1.