Calls to ban social media in UK schools are growing louder. Concerns about bullying, distraction, mental health, and exposure to harmful content are real and serious. But banning something so embedded in young people’s lives risks offering a simple answer to a complex problem. It may create the appearance of action, without addressing the deeper … Continue reading To Ban or Not To Ban, that is the question….
Why the term “Upstander” Can get in the way of culture change.
Today is ‘National Bystander Day’. I learned this through a post by Nottinghamshire police who were discussing their ‘Upstander training’ for police officers. In the post they appeared to suggest that the bystander effect was the main reason people don’t speak up. Two things created some conflict with me and have led to me writing … Continue reading Why the term “Upstander” Can get in the way of culture change.
Active Bystandership: The Hidden Health Resource Inside Every Workplace
Health at work is often framed in physical terms. We measure sickness absence, track injuries, and promote exercise, nutrition, and sleep. These are essential, they focus rightly on the individual, but they miss out the many other forces that exist in all workplaces. The reality is they miss something quieter and more powerful: the social … Continue reading Active Bystandership: The Hidden Health Resource Inside Every Workplace
How active bystandership can support a multi-agency partnership.
Active bystandership is like the immune system of a workplace, team or partnership: when people step in early and constructively, they prevent small problems from becoming a major crisis. The benefits ripple outward in ways that touch everyone, not just the direct “targets” of intervention. Many child/adult safeguarding failures are due to poor communication or … Continue reading How active bystandership can support a multi-agency partnership.
When we act, everyone benefits
The use of bystander type trainings in organisations will have little or no effect when the message centres solely on protecting certain individuals or groups. In likes of policing, the focus on VAWG has been to build trust in the profession as well as supporting victims. Whilst important, when bystander approaches communicate that action benefits … Continue reading When we act, everyone benefits
