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Please note that the Service is closed for the Easter Closure Period. Any reports received after 4pm on Thursday 28th March 2024 will be responded to when the University reopens on Tuesday 2nd April 2024.

'Be the Change’ is a set of active bystander educational resources that have been adapted from the evidence-based Intervention Initiative*. They form part of the ‘Speak Up! Stand Up!’ campaign that aims to encourage everyone to be an active bystander and take action against harassment, hate crime and sexual violence.  

Acts of harassment and violence committed because of a person’s identity often start with negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes about other people.  These beliefs are cultivated through exposure and repeated reinforcement by those around them and they can form prejudices.  These prejudices can present in a variety of forms including:

  • Disabalism
  • Homophobia
  • Racism
  • Religious Hate
  • Sexism
  • Transphobia

Left unchallenged these beliefs can lead to prejudicial behaviour and potentially more serious acts of discrimination hate and violence.

Don't be a bystander Speak Up! Stand Up!  Call it out and report it.

Modules 

The following modules have been developed for students: 

  • Be the Change: Sexism, misogyny and sexual violence
  • Be the Change: Racism, religious hate, harassment and hate crime

The modules are designed to be flexible and provide a variety of options including: 

  • Introduction. A classroom-based introduction to being an active bystander (1 or 2 hrs)
  • Where do you draw the line? An online session that explores the impact that negative attitudes, beliefs, stereotypes and micro-aggressions have and how they can lead to more serious acts of discrimination and violence (approx. 1 hr)
  • Being an active bystander.  A classroom-based session that provides an opportunity to explore situations in which an active bystander could take action (2 or 4 hrs). 

Participants can choose to complete just one session or they can combine sessions and become an active bystander champion.  

To sign up for one of our session visit our eventbrite page. 

Consent & Sexual Violence 

We have worked with the UMSU Feminist Collective to co-produce materials for a stand alone online module. 

  • Permission is Key: An active bystander module that focuses on consent and sexual violence  

Those students who have participated in this module will be invited to take part in one of the Being and an active bystander sessions outlined above. 

This module has been developed as part of a pilot in the School of Social Sciences. Once feedback has been collated the module will be reviewed.  

Coming Soon

We are working with coleagues to develop the following modules for staff: 

  • Be the Change: Sexism, misogyny and sexual violence in the research community 
  • Be the Change: Racism, harassment and discrimination in the workplace 

We are also developing resources to explore the following topics: 

  • Disabalism
  • Homophobia
  • Religious Hate
  • Transphobia

If you would like to find out more about any of these sessions or resources contact the team

Report & Support

If you or someone you know has experienced problematic behaviour you can use the University’s Report and Support Platform.  This allows you to report something anonymously or report it and get support from a Harassment Support Advisor.

*Including the work carried out by Coventry University which expanded the initiative to include the wider issues of hate crime and discriminatory incidents.

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