Active Bystander - Tackling Violence against Women and Girls

Course details

Dates:  5 and 12 October 2026 - both sessions must be attended

               2 and 9 February 2027 - both sessions must be attended

Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm

Venue: Gateshead Learning Centre

Facilitators: Specialist presenters from Gateshead Council

Booking: via Learning Hub

About the course

We can all be bystanders. Every day events unfold around us. At some point, we will register someone in danger. When this happens, we will decide to do or say something (and become an active bystander), or to simply let it go (and remain a passive bystander).

When we intervene, we signal to the perpetrator that their behaviour is unacceptable. If such messages are constantly reinforced within our community, we can shift the boundaries of what is considered acceptable and problem behaviour can be stopped.

Learning to recognise when someone is in danger and how you can intervene safely is an essential skill. Safely intervening could mean anything from a disapproving look, interrupting or distracting someone, not laughing at a sexist or a violent joke, talking to a friend about their behaviour in a non-confrontational way to caring for a friend who's experienced problematic behaviour. Other times, it means asking friends, staff, or the police for help.

Course Outline

• bystander intervention - the key ideas
• street harassment/sexual harassment in public spaces
• what we are talking about and why
• masculinity, violence and group norms
• understanding the impacts
• changing the script - challenging the myths
• having transformative conversations
• practicing skilful interventions

Suitable for

Anybody working in Gateshead