I am certainly alert to your concerns in this, especially given that the leadership at our University is so poor. However, Bystander Intervention is the ONLY way out of societal problems like bullying, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, etc. In NYC, they say, "if you see something, say something." Often people take the term Intervention to mean physical intervention, and that is not the only way you can intervene. This training will focus on situations you might encounter and what you should do SHORT OF PHYSICAL intervention. If it is a good program it will simultaneously focus on how to protect yourself as a University employee by documenting your interactions if you are reporting something that could result in embarrassment to your employer and therefore threaten your job somehow.
Whether people get abused or harassed on the PSU campus is the business of every person on that campus, PSU employee, student, or not. It is our flagship University. If you tolerate abuse or harassment because you think it is none of your business, you will get more of it. If your workplace or your school or your town becomes know thereafter as a place where abuse is tolerated, you should not complain. You tolerated it.
We use the term "innocent bystander" all the time, but a bystander who witnesses an injustice and does nothing is not innocent, especially if there is physical danger or fear being used.
