The Beacon and The Women’s Center on campus have collaborated to create  “Bystander Spotlight,” which will be showcasing active and/or engaged bystanders in the William Paterson Community.

According to njcoalition, an engaged or active bystander is someone who intervenes before, during or after a situation because they understand it to be harmful or dangerous.

What Is A Bystander Intervention?

Bystander Intervention is noticing an event, identifying the situation as appropriate, taking responsibility, deciding how to help or act to intervene in any potentially harmful situation and choosing to respond or react in a way that could positively influence the outcome.

What Is The Purpose Of “Bystander Spotlight?”

“The William Paterson University Women’s Center works to expand the understanding of women’s and gender issues, empower students to explore options in their lives and motivate the campus community toward greater involvement in these issues as leaders, allies and agents of change,” said Campus Victim Services Coordinator Theresa Bivaletz.

“We are always focusing on prevention that The Women’s Center focuses on and we just wanted to highlight students who are being active bystanders.”

Interactive Workshop To Learn More

The Women’s Center offers Voices Against Violence, a 60-minute interactive bystander intervention workshop that will help you understand:

WHY intervention is necessary, HOW intervention can positively impact our campus, and WHAT to do when you witness gender-based violence, including anything from sexist jokes to victim-blaming to physical assaults.

Contact Theresa Bivaletz, [email protected], if you’d like to host a workshop!

This series was developed by William Paterson University’s Campus Victim Services coordinator Theresa Bivaletz