The Tribune

By ALICIA WALLACE

THERE is a video recording of what appears to be sexual assault that has been circulating over the past few days. It’s a demonstration of the failure of people to recognise sexual assault, the failure of people who recognise it to intervene, the focus on getting likes, comments, and shares at the expense of others’ wellbeing, and the lack of care for survivors.

Sexual violence is rampant in The Bahamas. When stories make the news, people express disgust and shock and call for punishment. Somehow, some of these same people share video footage of sexual violence--showing no regard for the person who was violated—and choose to add to the trauma by inviting others to watch what they suffered.

Is this where we are as a people?

Is it that people do not care about one another? Do people not know what to do when they witness sexual violence? Do people want to be the first to share shocking material, no matter who it harms? Is there no interest in building community, supporting one another, and creating safe environments? Have the failures of laws and the people who make them led us to this callous individualism?

When we witness acts of violence--from harassment to rape--we have options. We do not have to do nothing. We do not have to ignore. We do not have to participate. We do not have to add to the harm of the person being targeted and violated.

We can intervene.

The five forms of bystander intervention are direct, distract, delegate, delay, and document. When witnessing an incident, we have a short amount of time to assess the risk of intervention, both to ourselves and to the person being targeted. Knowing the five forms of bystander intervention can help us to make faster decisions and act in more effective ways.

Direct. When addressing a perpetrator directly, the intervention should be short and to the point. It could be as simple as saying, “Please stop right now,” or “That’s not okay.” This is the form of intervention that generally carries the highest risk because it is confrontational. It could lead to the perpetrator turning their violence on the intervener, or an escalation in the violence toward the initial target.

Direct intervention is often the best option when the perpetrator is known to the intervening person, as there is an existing relationship to be leveraged and, perhaps, serve as a safety mechanism.

Though direct intervention addresses the perpetrator, focus should be on the initial target and ensuring their safety and ability to get out of the situation.

Distract. This is when an intervener is able to create distance between the perpetrator and the person being targeted, while minimising the risk of escalation, if they can find a way to get the attention of the person being targeted.

In this form of intervention, the intervener does not acknowledge the violation taking place and ignores the perpetrator, focusing solely on the targeted person. They may ask the targeted person for directions, pretend to recognise them from somewhere else, spill or drop something and prompt them to help, or make conversation and/or a distraction in some other way. This interrupts the previous interaction and gives the targeted person a chance to get away.

Delegate. When there are other people around while someone is being targeted, it can be safer and more effective to involve at least one other person rather than acting alone. An intervener needs to be clear in their intent and in their communication with anyone they call on as a delegate. Two interveners who already know each other can identify a situation and determine the best way to act together. When someone has to be recruited, the ask must be clear.

An example of recruiting a delegate who is a stranger in a clear way is “The person in the blue shirt doesn’t seem to be okay and the person in the brown shirt is trying to take advantage of them. Can you talk to the one in brown to distract them so I can try to help the one in blue?”

In some spaces, there may be an authority figure who can help. This could be the manager of a bar, driver of a bus, a teacher at a school, or a parent/guardian in a home or family environment. They can often assert themselves and de-escalate situations more easily than people who are seen as peers.

Delay. When intervention in the incident is not possible, it is helpful to intervene in the aftermath when a person who is targeted may feel shock, embarrassment, or guilt concerning what took place and the perceptions that others may have of them.

The delay form of intervention is a check-in with the person who was targeted. An intervener can say, “I saw what just happened. Are you okay?” or “I’m sorry that happened. Can I call someone for you?”

This form of intervention is used when an incident occurs too quickly or far away for any other form to be initiated. It can also be used when an intervener freezes and is only able to act later.

One way to reduce trauma is to acknowledge what happened, affirm for the person who was targeted that it was wrong, and offer them assistance in the aftermath. It is a conscious decision not to ignore what happened and to function like a member of a community by practicing care.

Document. When it may be helpful for the person being targeted, it is helpful to record or take detailed notes of the incident. Importantly, the person needs to be assisted, and documenting should not be the only or the first form of intervention. Recording the incident without offering assistance can result in additional trauma.

The documentation should be offered to the person who was targeted, putting them in charge of storing and/or sharing the material. Sharing it without their permission is a violation that ignores their agency and possibly increases the trauma they experience as a result of the incident.

Equality Bahamas has been offering bystander intervention training since 2014. To schedule bystander intervention training for your workplace, family, civic organisation, or other group, contact Equality Bahamas at equalitybahamas@gmail.com.

Recommendations       

Join Feminist Book Club with Equality Bahamas and Poinciana Paper Press. This month, Feminist Book Club is reading Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser. The publisher asks relevant questions: “What happens when our desires run contrary to our beliefs? What should we do when the failings of revered figures come to light? Who is shamed when the truth is told? Michelle de Kretser’s new novel offers a spellbinding meditation on the moral complexities that arise in the gap between our values and our lives.”

People (Magazine) called the book “a complex, lyrical story of relationships, feminism, and academic pressure.” The book will be discussed at Poinciana Paper Press, 12 Parkgate Road on Wednesday, January 21 at 6pm. Register to join Feminist Book Club at tiny.cc/fbc2026.           

Exhibition openings at National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. On Thursday, January 22 at 6:30pm, “What the Landscape Holds,” an interactive exhibition by Jason Bennett of The Bahamas and David Gumbs of Saint-Martin, opens. It invites us to “step directly into constructed environments shaped by synthetic materials and technology, where everyday objects are transformed into immersive landscapes that can be touched, moved through, and activated by the viewer.”

On the same evening, “War Dog: Teeth, Thorns, and Iron,” new works by Reagan Kemp opens in the Project Space. “Through painting and ceramic works, Kemp draws inspiration from Ajagunda, the warlike manifestation of the Yoruba Orisha Obatala, reflecting on guardianship, survival, and the fragile line between defence and harm.”