When someone is called a name, treated unfairly or subjected to unwanted attention, it can be difficult to know how to respond. What can you do when you see it happening?
A free, interactive Active Bystander Training on Saturday, Oct. 3, will give high school students and adults practical tools and confidence to respond safely and effectively when someone is being treated unfairly.
The training will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Meridian High School, 121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church. Participants will learn how to recognize situations that call for intervention, determine when and how to step in, and overcome the hesitation that can prevent people from responding.
Being an active bystander does not mean confronting someone aggressively. Instead, it means taking thoughtful, appropriate action to support someone who may need help.
Three facilitators will lead participants through role-playing and group exercises developed by Gathering Currents. The Massachusetts nonprofit provides conflict resolution and mediation services to schools, communities, athletic groups and other organizations. More than 10,000 students and adults have participated in its active bystander trainings.
Only 50 spots are offered for the free training, and preregistration is required. Lunch will be provided. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/training-active-bystanders-tab-tickets-1999945402536?aff=oddtdtcreator.
The program is presented by the Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity and the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, in partnership with Meridian High School and the school’s Black Student Union and Social Justice Club.
The training follows an April community workshop on “othering,” the practice of labeling people as different or outsiders in ways that can harm individuals, groups and the broader community. Participants at that workshop asked for practical tools to help them recognize when intervention is needed and know how to support someone who is being treated unfairly.
This training is an opportunity to turn that conversation into action: learn what to do, practice how to do it, and become more confident in helping create a welcoming and inclusive community.