The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston’s

Bystander Intervention Program Toolkit

Who Is A Bystander?

Bystanders can include students, employees, faculty or third parties who may or may not be affiliated with UTMB. These individuals are not directly involved in a situation that is potentially dangerous or harmful but are witnesses who have the ability to intervene in a manner that is safe and comfortable for them.

What Is Bystander Intervention And Why Should You ACT?

When bystanders witness potentially dangerous or harmful situations, they have the ability to ACT (Assist. Call for help. Tell someone). This can be done using various methods, which are discussed below. There have been multiple instances where there are several bystanders who are present in a situation where someone needs a bystander to intervene, but no one ACTs.[1]  This occurs for various reasons, including, but not limited to, lack of desire to get involved, lack of knowledge regarding how to intervene, and the inability to recognize warning signs that the situation may be dangerous or harmful. We want to prevent this at UTMB because we are committed to maintaining an environment that is safe for everyone. However, safety is a shared responsibility that requires bystanders to intervene and ACT when possible. Therefore, the goal of the bystander intervention program is to increase awareness, prevent dangerous situations from occurring and promote a culture of bystander intervention in the event that dangerous situations do occur. We ask that you do the right thing and ACT to ensure that UTMB maintains a safe environment for everyone. 

Where Can Bystander Intervention Occur?

This can occur almost anywhere there is a person in a dangerous situation. This includes events that occur either on campus or off-campus.  The bystander should stay alert and look for signs that someone around them may need them to ACT (Assist. Call for help. Tell someone).  

When Should A Bystander Take Action?

Bystanders should ACT (Assist. Call for help. Tell someone) as soon as possible after identifying that someone may be in a potentially dangerous or harmful situation. People generally think that a potentially dangerous or harmful situation occurs between strangers, but often times these situations arise between friends, acquaintances or even people who are dating.

RED FLAGS: Don’t ignore the warning signs!

  • Bystanders should look for warning signs that consent to sexual acts that may be given by an individual is not effective. These warning signs include: (1) incapacitation due to excessive use of alcohol or drugs (slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, staggered walking, vomiting, etc.), being asleep or unconsciousness, or having an intellectual or other disability; (2) intimidation; (3) coercion; (4) physical force; (5) threats of physical force; or (6) any other factor that would eliminate or impair an individual’s ability to exercise his or her own free will to give their consent.  Examples of other situations that a bystander could intervene include: bullying behavior; inappropriate or sexually offensive comments; unwelcome physical touching; threats of physical violence against others; and threats of suicide.

What do you do when there are red flags?

  • First, bystanders should determine if it is safe to assist. If bystanders feel that it is not safe to assist the individual in a potentially dangerous or harmful situation, the bystanders should call for help as soon as possible. If the situation is an emergency, please call 911 or the local or campus police immediately.
  • Then, incidents of sexual violence, sexual harassment, dating/domestic violence, or stalking should be reported to the Title IX Office as soon as possible. Delays in reporting can greatly limit the University’s ability to stop the activity and take effective action. If you are unsure whether the incident falls within one of the previously mentioned categories, it is best to report it so the Title IX Office can determine the appropriate department to look into the concerns.

How Can You Recognize These Incidents of Sexual Misconduct?[2]

Sexual violence is a physical act perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent including but not limited to acts such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual coercion, sexual abuse, indecency with a child, and/or aggravated sexual assault. 

Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature including but not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

Dating violence is violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim.  The length and type of the relationship as well as the frequency of interaction between the persons involved will be evaluated to determine the existence of such a relationship.

Domestic violence is felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the state of Texas, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the state of Texas. 

Stalking is a course of conduct (two or more acts) directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others, or suffer substantial emotional distress.

Who is a Responsible Employee?

Responsible employees (administrators, supervisory staff, advisors, graduate teaching assistants, and faculty who have a responsibility for students in the following capacities: teaching; advising; coaching or mentoring; or supervising in a clinical setting) have the duty to report incidents of alleged sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator immediately (within 24 hours) and incidents of alleged violations of UTMB’s Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct policy within 3 business days. Any delay beyond these timelines could result in disciplinary action.

How Can A Bystander Intervene?

A bystander should ACT (Assist. Call for help. Tell someone) in the safest manner possible. There are various methods, including, but not limited to, the following examples:

Assist:                   Ensuring that someone who had too many drinks at a party gets home safely and does not go home with someone else; making sure no one follows an inebriated individual into another room; telling someone who is acting inappropriately to stop; creating a distraction; diffusing a situation; and/or removing an inebriated individual from the dangerous situation.

  • Safe ways to intervene:         
    1. Direct: “It isn’t safe for you to walk home alone. I will walk with you.” “You’ve had too much to drink. I will drive you.”  “Your comments and jokes are not appropriate. Please stop.”
    2. Distraction: Make a joke to diffuse a situation that is escalating.  Ask a friend who is at risk where the bathroom is and if they could walk with you.  Tell your friend that you lost your cell phone and that you need help finding it.
    3. Delegation: Get another person or group of people to help you assist someone. 

Call for Help:      If the situation is an emergency, call 911 immediately; you can also call the local police department and/or the campus police; call someone else to assist (such as a friend, acquaintance or stranger), if necessary; and/or call a hotline or other resource for assistance.

Tell someone:    Please report incidents of sexual violence, sexual harassment, dating/domestic violence, or stalking to the Title IX Office upon returning to work or school. To contact the Title IX Office: 

Phone: (409)-772-2112

Email: Title.IX@utmb.edu

Location: 2.302 Rebecca Sealy Building

                                             Website: http://www.utmb.edu/studentservices/titleix.asp

If someone is still at risk/danger or continues to pose a threat to the UTMB community, report this to the appropriate on-campus resource: UTMB Campus Police; Employee Assistance or Student Health and Counseling Services; or the Title IX Office.

What Are Some of the Benefits to Bystander Intervention?

Bystander Intervention discourages victim blaming and focuses on shifting responsibility to more than just a single individual.  With bystanders as active participants, the sense of responsibility shifts away from victims and toward the family, friends and the community as a whole. Additionally, bystander intervention provides an opportunity to stray away from the social norm of men as perpetrators and women as victims.  The promotion of this approach now forces all adults, both men and women, to be equally responsible for the prevention of sexual violence.[3]

Relevant UTMB Policies:

For more information, including relevant definitions; please see UTMB’s Institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures: Policy 3.2.4 – Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy.

Notice of Non-Discrimination:

The University of Texas Medical Branch, in compliance with applicable federal laws and regulations, strives to maintain an environment free from discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or veteran status. This includes all programs, facilities or services and applies to all employees and students, and anyone who utilizes UTMB facilities.

The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Kathy Rodriguez, Director of the Department of Internal Investigations & Institutional Title IX Coordinator

2.302 Rebecca Sealy

409-772-2112

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit; https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm

For the address and phone number of the office that serves your area call 1-800-421-3481

Available Resources

Local Resources:

  • UTMB Police Department
  • Galveston Police Department
  • UTMB Student Health and Counseling (for students)
    • Phone:
      • 409-747-9508 (Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
      • 409-772-2222 or 800-917-8906 (After hours, weekends and holidays)
      • 409-747-4357 (Mental Health Crisis Line – Available 24/7)
    • Website: http://www.utmb.edu/studenthealth/
  • UTMB Employee Assistance Program (Confidential and free counseling sessions for current or retired UTMB employees and minor dependents residing in the home)
    • Phone for appointments: 713-500-3327 or toll free 1-800-346-3549

username: utmb               password: utmb

National Resources:


[1] See the story of Catherine (“Kitty”) Genovese whose brutal attack sparked the necessity for bystander intervention programs worldwide.

[2] All terms in this section are defined pursuant to UTMB’s Institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures: Policy 3.2.4 – Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy.  http://www.utmb.edu/policies_and_procedures/10509160

[3] Tabachnick, J. (2009). Engaging Bystanders in Sexual Violence Prevention. National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Enola PA www.nsvrc.org.