Sexual Assault Awareness Month educates communities and individuals about sexual assault and the actions they can take to prevent it.
Based on information from the Prairie Center Against Sexual Assault (PCASA), there are steps which we all tend to move through when we observe a bad situation that might become a worse situation:
- See. — Be aware of what is happening around you and notice when something isn’t quite right.
- Identify. — Pay closer attention, decide if there is someone who needs help.
- Choose. — Determine if you are the best person to respond.
- Decide. — Choose the tactic you will use to interrupt the situation.
- Do. — Act.
Once you decide to take action, the three Ds of bystander intervention will help you choose the best tactic:
- Direct. – If it’s safe and you will be safe, confront the situation directly.
- Distract. – Redirect the focus somewhere else. Consider using humor or asking both people a question.
- Delegate. – If you cannot safely “Direct” or “Distract,” consider taking action by getting someone else who can.
To learn more about bystander intervention, plan on attending a presentation on bystander intervention by Annie Pettit in A. Lincoln Commons tomorrow, April 12, at 10 a.m. Annie Pettit is a preventionist at PCASA and proud to be a part of a team that supports survivors of sexual violence and promotes healing and prevention. She is passionate about speaking out against sexual assault and educating others here in central Illinois as she travels around the 11 counties of PCASA’s service area to speak with communities about topics such as consent, healthy relationships and bystander intervention.
If you cannot attend in-person, you may attend virtually via Zoom.
If you have any questions, comments or need to report an incident related to sexual assault or harassments, please contact the Nikki Baker, compliance & prevention coordinator, at Nikki.Baker@llcc.edu.