Empowering bystanders: Transforming silent witnesses into active bystanders

Bystanders to harmful behaviours in the workplace play a crucial role in helping to optimise respect and psychological safety as well as trust between team members and their colleagues and managers.  

This article explores the dynamics of bystander interventions in workplace settings, outlining the challenges and strategies to transform passive observers into proactive agents of positive change. 

The role of active bystanders
Active bystanders can play a crucial role in mitigating harmful behaviours and fostering a culture of prevention (Aggarwal & Brenner, 2020; VicHealth, 2014). They contribute to psychological safety and help vulnerable individuals feel supported (Fileborn, 2017). Groups with empowered bystanders often exhibit higher levels of trust, better connections, and increased engagement (Katz & Moore, 2013). 

Understanding the passive bystander effect 
Often in larger groups, individuals tend towards becoming passive bystanders, a phenomenon where the responsibility to act is diffused among members. This is often referred to as the “passive bystander effect”.  Research points to several factors that inhibit individuals from standing up to harmful behaviours in a group setting and thus contribute to the passive bystander effect, including: 

• an inhibitory thought that “there are other people here and I am not personally responsible for this” 
• fear of losing popularity or being disliked by the group 
• fear of negative consequences like retribution (in the workplace consequences, this includes victimisation) 
• fear of getting too involved 
• uncertainty and inability to navigate ambiguous situations (often described in terms of a fear of falsely accusing somebody of behaving inappropriately) 
• a belief that nothing good will happen if they speak up (this is often attributable to their prior experiences within the group and beliefs about group culture, a phenomenon that is more likely to occur once someone has been a member of a particular group for several months) 
• fear of embarrassing the target/victim of the behaviour (and of potentially making it worse) 
• a lack of confidence and courage in themselves 
• a lack of skills (this commonly manifests in statements like “I didn’t know what to say”) 
• a lack of preparedness (commonly referenced in terms that “I felt unprepared, I froze”). 

(Rowe, Wilcox, & Gadlin, 2009; Sanderson, 2020). 

Encouraging active bystander interventions: A five-step approach 
Research demonstrates that people who report having stood up to harmful behaviours report several enabling factors in common. These factors provide valuable guidance on areas that employers should focus on when answering the question, “what can we do to encourage active bystander behaviours?”.  The following is a summary of five key factors to consider for action planning: 

1. Spotting the signs early. Consider scenario-based, interactive training that helps team members recognise inappropriate behaviours, including subtle microaggressions (Sue et al., 2007). 
2. Understanding the impacts. Educate your people to recognise and appreciate the problematic nature of offending behaviours and to tap into what matters to them the most (their values) – this can help them to deepen their personal care about the potential consequences of inappropriate behaviour on others (Burn, 2009). 
3. Accepting responsibility.  Encourage your people to take personal responsibility for doing something about harmful behaviours and for the consequences of not doing or saying anything (Banyard, 2015). 
4. Developing intervention skills.  Provide a toolkit for effective intervention strategies (Coker et al., 2011), including interactive training on assertive, respectful intervention skills. 
5. Taking action.  Training should also focus on preparing your team members to step beyond any initial hesitations and to take the potential risk involved in acting, even if it is as simple as reaching out to a target/victim and listening to them (McMahon & Banyard, 2012; VicHealth, 2014). 

Transforming passive bystanders into active participants is crucial for creating safer, more respectful, and psychologically healthy workplaces. Through targeted interventions and training, organisations can cultivate a culture where every member feels empowered to contribute positively. 

Enmasse’s Bystander Index program  
Enmasse has developed a mobile and desktop accessible survey program that enables individual respondents to receive their own insight-building feedback while providing aggregated data for your organisation.  

What does the individual participant receive? 
Each individual participant will receive their own unique report that provides them with positive suggestions and accompanying links to help them to: 

• Notice disrespectful behaviours – build their awareness towards recognising inappropriate behaviours including microaggressions 
• Know and care about the risks - interpret and understand that the offending behaviour is a problem that can have dire consequences 
• Be responsible – accept their individual responsibility for doing or saying something 
• Build and apply skills for intervening – a toolkit of what to say, how to say it  
• Act – be prepared to do something, even if it is as simple as reaching out to a target/victim and listening to them. 

What does the organisation receive? 
The employer received aggregated, de-identified data that enables: 

• Insights into the overall risks and opportunities for the organisation including identifying areas for particular concerns and addressing these with customised interventions; 
• The establishment of a baseline of data against which, at various intervals, progress can be checked and reported;
• Targeted interventions to ensure that workforce and student communities are well-equipped to become active bystanders and to establish a strong sense of individual progress through the program; and 
• Measurement of shifts in risk profiles over time and return on investment. 

If you would like more information on how Enmasse can support you or your organisation with Bystander training, please contact Mark Dean (UK, Europe and US) or Helena Kuo (Australia, Asia-Pacific)

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 References 

 Aggarwal, R., Brenner, A.M. #MeToo: the Role and Power of Bystanders (aka Us). Acad Psychiatry 44, 5–10 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-019-01173-0 Banyard, V. L. (2015). Toward the next generation of bystander prevention of sexual and relationship violence: Action coils to engage communities. Springer. 
Burn, S. M. (2009). A situational model of sexual assault prevention through bystander intervention. Sex Roles, 60(11-12), 779-792. 
Coker, A. L., Cook-Craig, P. G., Williams, C. M., Fisher, B. S., Clear, E. R., Garcia, L. S., & Hegge, L. M. (2011). Evaluation of Green Dot: An active bystander intervention to reduce sexual violence on college campuses. Violence Against Women, 17(6), 777-796. 
Fileborn, B. (2017). Bystander intervention from the victims’ perspective: experiences, impacts and justice needs of street harassment victims, Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 1(2), 187-204. Retrieved Mar 13, 2023, from https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/jgbv/1/2/article-p187.xml Katz, Jennifer & Moore, Jessica. (2013). Bystander Education Training for Campus Sexual Assault Prevention: An Initial Meta-Analysis. Violence and victims. 28. 1054-67. 
Klein, O., Martin, R., & Rios, K. (2017). The social underpinnings of motivation and achievement: Investigating the role of parents, teachers, peers, and cultures. Advances in Motivation Science, 4, 267-306. 
McMahon, S., & Banyard, V. L. (2012). When can I help? A conceptual framework for the prevention of sexual violence through bystander intervention. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 13(1), 3-14. 
Rowe, M., Wilcox, L & Gadlin, H. 2009. Dealing with—or reporting—unacceptable behavior. Journal of the International Ombudsman Association, 2(1)  
Sanderson, C. 2020. The bystander effect: the psychology of courage and how to be brave. Catherine Sanderson, London: Collins. 
Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271. 
VicHealth, ‘Stepping in’: A bystander action toolkit to support equality and respect at work – A resource for State Sporting Associations (2014) https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/publications/bystander-action-toolkit