Air Force officials emphasize bystander intervention

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  Airmen have the power to stop sexual assaults.

The Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office staff is leading the effort to empower Airmen with this concept.

The key to that empowerment is bystander intervention. If Airmen witness a situation that could lead to an assault, they have an obligation to intervene and help prevent the crime, said Carl Buchanan, the program manager.

To do this, the staff members at the SAPR office have developed bystander intervention education modules for women, men and leaders that provide an opportunity to practice the necessary skills to protect themselves and others from sexual assault, Mr. Buchanan said.

Airmen will be trained in bystander intervention techniques, which differ based on gender. In addition, there is training specific for leaders, Mr. Buchanan said.

"The goal of the bystander intervention training is to empower our Airmen to effectively prevent sexual assaults against their fellow wingmen by providing a learning environment in which they can practice and become confident using intervention skills," he said.

Mr. Buchanan recently briefed at a national-level conference, hosted by the Washington, D.C.-based organization Men Can Stop Rape, Inc., about the design and development of the bystander intervention education modules, which were developed by some of the nation's leading experts in sexual assault prevention and response.

The staff at the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office also provided a presentation on the department's overarching prevention strategy.

As an overview of the educational modules, Mr. Buchanan shared the Air Force's approach to training sessions:

- Recognize situations that may lead to sexual assault
- Offer an array of available intervention strategies and an opportunity to practice them
- Offer bystander intervention techniques

After receiving the training, Airmen will be better equipped with available strategies to protect themselves and their wingmen, Mr. Buchanan said.

Visit the new Web site http://www.sapr.mil for victim assistance, schedules of events and activities throughout the year as well as training tools and materials.

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