On 13th March 2026, it’s International Bystander Awareness Day, a time for us to think about how we can take safe, responsible action when we witness harassment, hate crime, violence, or other harmful behaviour. Alongside this blog post, we are launching a #NeverOK reading list, where you can read a range of great books about allyship and activism.
Sometimes in life you might witness someone being harassed – you could be on the bus, in a park, out with friends or on social media. What can you do? What's most important is that you do something. Still, it can be daunting to decide what that something is. By having the 5ds ready in your toolbox, you can be prepared and ready to stand up and intervene. In this blog we will introduce you to 5 different methods to support someone who is being harassed: these are distract, delegate, document, direct and delay. Which "D” you choose will depend on the situation you find yourself in, what you think will work best and which is safest.
Let’s go through each of the 5Ds, and ideas for what you can say and do in these difficult situations. As we do, remember that these are just ideas.
1. Distract
Interrupt the situation by distracting from what is happening. When you use distraction, engage directly with the person who is being targeted, rather than the perpetrator. Don’t refer to the harassment, instead choose a topic that is completely unrelated. A distraction can be a small and discreet way of interrupting the harassment.
✔ You could ask about something unrelated: “What's the time?” or “I'm a bit lost, do you know where X is?”
✔ You could talk about the weather, or a film you watched recently.
✔ You could ‘accidentally’ spill or drop something to shift the focus away from the harassment.
2. Delegate
Ask someone for help with intervening. This might be a person in a position of authority, like a teacher, bus driver, or security guard. When you choose to delegate, be clear about what you are witnessing and what you are asking of the person. It’s OK to recognise that someone else may be better placed to take action.
✔ You could check in with the person being harassed and ask if they would like you to call the police. Only call the police if they explicitly ask you to – not everyone feels and is safer when the police are involved. Many people rightfully feel unsafe with police involvement, and it’s important not to go against an individuals’ wishes.
✔ You could say something like “The person over there in the grey jacket is being harassed. Can you come and help please?”
3. Document
Record what is happening via video or by note taking. Documentation from the incident can help in the future if an individual decides to report their experience of harassment.
Never post the recording online or use it without the individual’s consent. After the situation has passed, you can ask the person who was harassed what they want you to do with the documentation, including deleting it, and make sure to respect their wishes.
And only do this if someone else is already helping - if not, try another of the D’s first. It can cause further harm to record someone’s experience of harassment when they are not receiving any immediate help.
4. Delay
If you can’t act in the moment, check in with the targeted person once the incident is over and ask if they need any support. Sometimes harassment happens quickly, and we can’t intervene immediately. We can still offer help and support when the situation has passed.
By checking in with the individual after the harassment, we can show them that we won’t ignore what just happened.
✔ You could say something like “What happened back there was awful, are you OK? What do you need?”
✔ You could offer to sit with them for a moment, or walk with them.
✔ If they would like you to, you could share where they can access further resources and support, or where they might report what happened to them.
5. Direct
Sometimes, it’s appropriate to directly intervene. For example, by stating firmly and directly that the harassment or other unwanted behaviour is not OK.
Sometimes, intervening directly can escalate the situation, or may make you an additional target, so make sure to consider and assess the situation. Do you feel you, as well as the person being harassed, would be physically safe if you intervened directly?
✔ If you judge it to be safe, you could say something short, firm and direct like: “Stop. That’s not OK. Leave them alone.”
✔ You could clearly name the behaviour by saying something like: “That’s harassment and you need to stop immediately.”
Remember
« Our choices about what action to take will be personal and can feel complicated – these are hugely challenging situations, after all. When deciding what approach to use, think about what will be the safest, most effective, and least escalating choice, as well as what feels right for you.
« In these situations, you might feel uncomfortable, or full of adrenaline. That’s natural, and completely OK. Do what you can – it’s about showing up for people when they need help and support.
« And, you don’t have to be perfect! It’s not about doing the perfect thing, it’s about doing something. Read our blog Don’t Do Nothing: The Reality of Being an Active Bystander to learn more about this.
Respond
