“Graham, why, when I intervened did, I get a punch in the face?” The above is a question I get asked a lot when I’m delivering active bystandership training. You may laugh but behind this question is a reality for many who have intervened after witnessing a harmful situation. It may be that they observed … Continue reading Start Small, See Clearly: Why Limited Action Is Often the Best First Response
The ‘Hidden Power’ in the room – Henry Nowak and the Importance of Peer Intervention in Policing
The tragic case of Henry Nowak has prompted significant discussion about police decision-making, assumptions, and accountability. Much of that discussion has focused on the actions of individual officers. Yet one of the most important lessons may lie elsewhere: the role of peer intervention. Reports from the incident suggest that while officers were dealing with Henry, … Continue reading The ‘Hidden Power’ in the room – Henry Nowak and the Importance of Peer Intervention in Policing
When Strength Becomes Silence: Masculinity Contest Cultures, Policing and the Power of Active Bystandership
Policing needs to talk more about its men. In likes of policing and other male dominated workplaces 'Masculinity Contest Cultures' play out daily. These are environments where men feel pressure to prove toughness, dominance and endurance. Vulnerability and help seeking are viewed as weakness. Unhealthy competition is the outcome. Left unchecked such contests work to … Continue reading When Strength Becomes Silence: Masculinity Contest Cultures, Policing and the Power of Active Bystandership
To Ban or Not To Ban, that is the question….
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.
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