UC EVENTS

While at university, we may be a bystander in a range of situations that aren’t ok.  Perhaps we hear someone make a discriminatory joke about sex, gender or race.  We might see someone being harassed, or a person tells us they’ve experienced assault.  We may be concerned about someone’s mental health, or observe that a friend is using alcohol in a harmful way.  Most of us want to take action, but don’t know what to do or say to make a meaningful difference.   

The Medical and Counselling Centre is presenting a 3-hour workshop on bystander intervention in the university setting. This training helps to identify safe and effective strategies in common bystander situations, including: 

• Mental health issues 
• Harmful use of alcohol and other drugs 
• Discrimination, bullying and harassment 
• Sexual assault and harassment 
• Intimate partner violence  

The workshop explores how challenging situations affect our perception and decision-making, and offers techniques for taking clear action under pressure.  The training also discusses the variety of services that can assist in the community and on campus, including the university’s incident reporting process.