News

Bystander Intervention Training teaches people to assess situations and act

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78 ABW/PA
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Every now and then the same shocking story seems to show up in the news about someone who was ignored by many while in dire need of help.

One of the latest was the case of a girl in California who was being sexually assaulted in an open area, and numerous witnesses failed to intervene or even so much as dial 911.

In other cases people have been laying injured in a street or other public area, and ignored by dozens of people who just step around them or, rather than help, stop to take photos with their cell phone.

To combat this all-too-common tendency of people minding their own business when they shouldn't, Air Force Materiel Command is sponsoring Bystander Intervention Training for all active-duty personnel and all civilian supervisors of active-duty personnel.

The training will be done in classes of 20-25 people, which is much smaller than classes in the annual sexual assault prevention and response training it is replacing.

"This is very interactive training," said Cindy Graver, sexual assault awareness coordinator at Robins. "It's not death by PowerPoint."

The 90-minute training sessions, divided by sex and rank, began June 9 and runs through Aug. 30. Those who need the training will be informed by their training manager when they are scheduled to attend. Graver said those who are not required to get the training can take it if they desire by letting their training manager know they are interested.

Graver said the classes do not encourage people to put themselves in danger, but to assess the situation and if they can't do anything else, make a phone call to get help.

She also said the training applies not just to witnessing criminal activity or serious injury, but to everyday matters where people can help someone but often don't.

"It's about everyday life where you can choose to act or you can choose to do nothing," she said. "What we are hoping is that people will learn to be responsible."