Mandate Bystander Intervention Education in London
Mandate Bystander Intervention Education in London
The Issue
An unconscious woman was publicly raped on the Piccadilly line during rush hour, and no one stepped in. This horrifying incident, witnessed by a French tourist and his 11-year-old child, has left an indelible mark on our community. The tourist reported the crime and even returned to testify at the trial. Yet, it is deeply disturbing that no one intervened at the time of this heinous act.
This happened on a Sunday morning, around 8:00 am, in 2020. There was no CCTV footage, and only one report was made to the police. It took three years for the perpetrator to be identified and finally charged.
This incident underscores a critical need for bystander intervention education. We must equip our citizens with knowledge on how to safely prevent harm to others without putting themselves at risk. Currently, people are sharing '5 Ds' for bystander education - Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct - created by the New York anti-harassment group 'Right To Be'. However, this information needs to be more widely disseminated and formally taught.
Additionally, 1 in 3 women and about 1 in 9 men experienced sexual harassment in a public place.
This keeps happening more often, and it needs to stop.
We must take action now to ensure such incidents do not occur again in our city. By making bystander intervention education compulsory across London schools and workplaces, we can create a safer environment for everyone.
As young girls, we are taught to stay in public spaces to avoid unwanted male attention, and now we can't even do that without the fear that no one will help us when we are in trouble. We need the confidence to step in when we notice something is wrong.
We call upon local government officials to immediately implement mandatory bystander intervention training programs throughout London. Let's transform our city into a place where everyone knows how to respond effectively when they witness harm being done.
CDC developed a Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action (on their website) to help communities use the best available evidence to prevent sexual violence. We need this taught widely across the UK, in schools and at work.
Please sign and share this petition to create a safer community through education.
109
The Issue
An unconscious woman was publicly raped on the Piccadilly line during rush hour, and no one stepped in. This horrifying incident, witnessed by a French tourist and his 11-year-old child, has left an indelible mark on our community. The tourist reported the crime and even returned to testify at the trial. Yet, it is deeply disturbing that no one intervened at the time of this heinous act.
This happened on a Sunday morning, around 8:00 am, in 2020. There was no CCTV footage, and only one report was made to the police. It took three years for the perpetrator to be identified and finally charged.
This incident underscores a critical need for bystander intervention education. We must equip our citizens with knowledge on how to safely prevent harm to others without putting themselves at risk. Currently, people are sharing '5 Ds' for bystander education - Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct - created by the New York anti-harassment group 'Right To Be'. However, this information needs to be more widely disseminated and formally taught.
Additionally, 1 in 3 women and about 1 in 9 men experienced sexual harassment in a public place.
This keeps happening more often, and it needs to stop.
We must take action now to ensure such incidents do not occur again in our city. By making bystander intervention education compulsory across London schools and workplaces, we can create a safer environment for everyone.
As young girls, we are taught to stay in public spaces to avoid unwanted male attention, and now we can't even do that without the fear that no one will help us when we are in trouble. We need the confidence to step in when we notice something is wrong.
We call upon local government officials to immediately implement mandatory bystander intervention training programs throughout London. Let's transform our city into a place where everyone knows how to respond effectively when they witness harm being done.
CDC developed a Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action (on their website) to help communities use the best available evidence to prevent sexual violence. We need this taught widely across the UK, in schools and at work.
Please sign and share this petition to create a safer community through education.
109
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Petition created on 13 December 2023