The allegations emerging from Cornell University in the United States have once again raised difficult questions about male peer culture, sexual behaviour and, perhaps most importantly, male silence. The details of individual cases must be established through the appropriate processes, but there is a wider question worth asking: What happens when men see behaviour from … Continue reading From “Don’t Be That Guy” to “Be the Guy Who Speaks Up”
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Why Picasso may have accidentally explained the psychology of active bystandership.
“We don’t grow older. We grow riper.” — Pablo Picasso I was wandering around a bookshop recently with my book-mad wife. I stumbled across this quote from Pablo Picasso. In my work, I often talk about the transitions in our lives. From our early years to our teenage years. From our teens into our 20’s … Continue reading Why Picasso may have accidentally explained the psychology of active bystandership.
We Know What Works. So Why Don’t We Do What Works?
When we talk about preventing sexual violence, there is a question we often return to: What works? It is an important question. We need good evidence. We need interventions that have been properly evaluated. We need to understand what changes behaviour, challenges harmful social norms and creates environments in which sexual violence is less likely … Continue reading We Know What Works. So Why Don’t We Do What Works?
The Man Nobody Stopped: What a Fake Medical Student Can Teach Us About Active Bystandership
Some stories make us immediately ask: “How did the system allow this to happen?” The recent case of a man who admitted pretending to be a medical student at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is one of them. Stephen Byres Simpson admitted fraud after posing as a medical student at the hospital between December 2023 and January … Continue reading The Man Nobody Stopped: What a Fake Medical Student Can Teach Us About Active Bystandership
When We Pull ASOne, There Is Nothing We Can’t Achieve – Why cultures of support bring out the best in all of us
Andy Burnham's words at the Labour conference yesterday are powerful: “When we pull as one, there is nothing we can’t achieve.” For me, these words capture something fundamental about the purpose of my ASOne active bystandership programme with Policing, Fire & Rescue and military settings. They speak to the potential of people who look out … Continue reading When We Pull ASOne, There Is Nothing We Can’t Achieve – Why cultures of support bring out the best in all of us
