Bystander intervention can be an effective way to interrupt harassment and other forms of abusive behavior -- on campus and beyond. An Inside Higher Ed article by Scott Jaschik describes a UConn history professor’s experience while at a scholarly conference. The story covers a recent Twitter post that originated with the professor, Bradley Simpson, who recounted his actions as an active bystander to intervene to prevent a potential sexual assault while attending the annual meeting of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Simpson’s series of Tweets elicited a strong reaction (see full thread) about the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual assault at scholarly meetings.
Academic associations are increasingly adopting prevention and response measures that pertain to members’ behavior at conferences and meetings. At the University of Minnesota, The Aurora Center offers a variety of workshops centered on prevention education, including the Step Up program ,a bystander intervention initiative on campus.