Bystander Skills in Risky Drinking Situations

Bystander Training for Drinking Situations among College Students

How can bystanders become rescuers? Bystander training programs help give individuals skills and confidence to intervene in risky situations like sexual violence, bullying, drug overdoses, and drunk driving. However, people intervening often face dilemmas in balancing concern for the safety of others with maintaining their own social status in the larger group. A recent study (White & Malkowski) described 2 alcohol-related scenarios and the ways that college-age bystanders frequently respond to help. This study can help in the development of campus bystander promotion programs.

Situation Observed	Bystander’s goal	Possible bystander interventions
A man aggressively flirting with a woman who appears intoxicated	Inquire	Inquire whether woman is ok, whether she wants help getting away from man
	Insert	Insert oneself into the conversation, make excuse to make the woman or man go elsewhere; prevent the couple from isolating
	Warn	Warn man that the woman is impaired and cannot consent to sexual activity
A drinking game participant who appears drunk and says he wants to stop playing, but other participants urge him to keep playing	Substitute	Find someone else to play game in place of drunk peer
	Reduce peer pressure	Warn group to stop peer pressure
	Escape	Help drunk player get away from game