Penn State Harrisburg : to kickoff bystander intervention program, Stand for State

Stand for State Logo

As a part of Penn State's launch of Stand for State, an initiative aimed at empowering Penn Staters to stand up for one another and stop sexual and relationship violence, Penn State Harrisburg will hold its kickoff event on January 26 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the Olmsted Building atrium.

Stand for State promotes bystander intervention and its place in preventing sexual and relationship violence. Bystander intervention is based on the fact that people make decisions and continue behaviors based on the reactions they receive from others. Bystander intervention encourages others to intervene and promotes a sense of responsibility, which gives the bystander motivation to step in and take action to prevent sexual misconduct.

'It is important that we all work together to keep the Penn State Harrisburg community safe,' Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor Mukund Kulkarni said. 'I am pleased to have an initiative like Stand for State, that gets faculty, staff, and students involved in preventing violence on campus.'

Penn State Harrisburg's Stand for State launch will feature information tables, giveaways, prizes and other activities. Students will also be able to earn Stand for State items, such as t-shirts, pens, water bottles, and mugs.

Stand for State uses a bystander intervention curriculum created by Green Dot, a national leader in violence prevention education. Green Dot is built on the premise that in order to measurably reduce harm in a community, a cultural shift is necessary. As people engage in new behaviors to reduce violence and harm (which are labeled as red dots), the new prevention behaviors are called green dots. The key tactics for intervening and removing someone from harm's way are Green Dot's Three D's: direct, delegate and distract.

Several of Penn State Harrisburg's Green Dot instructors will be on hand to discuss the program and answer any questions.

Staff and student Stand for State workshops are also planned for February. These workshops will focus on providing participants with the skills to recognize potentially problematic situations, step in and diffuse the situations when appropriate, and seek help when needed.

In 2016, those trained will implement bystander intervention workshops for student leaders.

Stand for State is part of a University-wide effort to combat sexual assaults. In February 2015, Penn State President Eric Barron endorsed all 18 recommendations, including creation of a bystander intervention program, presented to him by a University task force charged with reviewing existing Penn State initiatives and advocating for additional efforts that would elevate Penn State's commitment to curbing sexual violence and misconduct.

In coming years, Stand for State will expand to cover bystander intervention for mental health-related issues, bias-related incidents, and risky drinking and drug use.

For more information, follow #StandforState on social media or email [e-mail].

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