The Research

The Bystander Intervention programme educates and empowers participants to contribute to a visible institutional culture of positivity and support. By developing a collaboration across the campus community, it provides the catalyst for crucial learning, allyship and empowerment, and demands an end to all forms of sexual harassment and violence. The impact data demonstrates a significant and meaningful enhancement of participants’ understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment and violence, a realization of their capacity to make a difference and the significant enhancement of their own ability to make effective interventions.

The Impact

The programme has been adapted and is now being delivered in 45 second-level schools nationwide and a workplace training programme has been developed for the workplace environment. As a targeted initiative capable of effecting cultural change, it has been expressly identified in the National Framework as the sector leader, now being rolled out in Higher Educational institutions nationally, at the request of, and funded by, the Minister for Higher Education; and to second-level schools funded by the Irish Research Council.

"The impact of the Bystander Intervention programme reaches across the UCC campus and far beyond and has effected real cultural change. In empowering all bystanders to demand better through safe and effective interventions, this programme is having a transformative effect on individual behaviour and in turn contributes positively to the everyday lives of women and girls." - Professor Louise Crowley.

More Information

Contact: Professor Louise Crowley, School of Law, College of Business and Law, University College Cork.