Celebrating 10 years of programme delivery
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UCC Bystander Intervention Conference
05 Feb 2026 -
UCC Bystander Intervention Conference
Happening On 03/02/2026
UCC Bystander Intervention annual conference - celebrating 10 years of programme delivery.
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UCC Bystander Intervention Jan-Dec 2024 Newsletter
25 Jun 2025
The UCC Bystander Intervention Newsletter for January to December 2024 has been released.
Click the following link to read:
UCC Bystander Intervention Newsletter JAN-DEC 2024
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UCC Bystander Intervention Jan-Dec 2023 Newsletter
21 Dec 2023
The UCC Bystander Intervention Newsletter for January to December 2023 has been released.
Click the following link to read:
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UCC Bystander Intervention Newsletter JAN-DEC 2023 -
‘People were accused of grooming children’ – Five things we learned on consent at the Oireachtas education committee
07 Nov 2023
Earlier today, the Oireachtas education committee heard from The Active Consent Programme and the UCC Bystander Intervention Programme: two independent programmes that are teaching school and university students about healthy relationships and consent. Here is what we learned from them.
Read on independent.ie -
Consent lessons should be expanded to secondary schools, Oireachtas committee told
07 Nov 2023
Some parents wish to keep their children “ignorant” on issues surrounding intimacy and consent despite a significant need and desire to learn from students and teachers, an Oireachtas committee has heard.
Representatives from the University of Galway-based Active Consent Programme and University College Cork’s (UCC) Bystander Intervention Programme outlined the need for education on consent for all secondary school students.
Read on irishexaminer.com -
New, staff-focused, Bystander Intervention Programme to launch next week
24 Feb 2023
The award-nominated UCC Bystander Intervention Programme will launch a new version of the course, aimed at staff, on Thursday.
Shortlisted for the Outstanding Support for Students Award in the prestigious 2022 Times Higher Education Awards, Bystander Intervention has been rolled out at third-level institutions across Ireland since its inception here at UCC.
Led by Professor Louise Crowley of the UCC School of Law, the programme has featured in across the media in national discussions on consent and harassment.
This new programme will launch at 11.30am on Thursday, March 2 at the G.27 (Seminar Room) in the O'Rahilly Building and will feature a speech from Prof. Crowley as well as a Q&A session with staff who have completed the programme.
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Gluaiseacht na gCodanna seolta ag IADT, freagra cruthaitheach ar chláir um thoiliú agus idirghábháil na bhféachadóirí.
23 Mar 2022
Cúis áthais do IADT Gluaiseacht na gCodanna a sheoladh go foirmiúil - sraith gearrbheochaintí agus físeán grafach ina dtéitear i ngleic le toiliú agus ina n-insítear scéalta ó dhaoine a tháinig slán ó fhoréigean gnéis agus mí-úsáid de dheasca íomhánna.
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UCC Bystander Intervention Jan-Oct 2022 Newsletter
19 Dec 2022
The UCC Bystander Intervention Newsletter for January to October 2022 has been released.
Click the following link to read:
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UCC Bystander Intervention Newsletter JAN-OCT 2022 -
IADT launch 'Moving Parts', a creative response to consent and bystander awareness programmes.
23 Mar 2022
IADT are delighted to formally launch Moving Parts - a series of new short animated and motion graphic videos tackling the topic of consent and telling the stories of survivors of sexual violence and image-based abuse.
Created by IADT Animation students and graduates, Moving Parts was developed in collaboration with NUI Galway’s Active* Consent Programme and UCC’s Bystander Intervention Programme.
These powerful videos are a creative response to the key messages that these two important programmes highlight and aim to bring awareness of these issues to a wider audience.
Moving Parts Animations Playlist
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[VIDEO] Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Highlight Reel
23 Feb 2022
Thank you so much to everyone who engaged with Bystander Intervention Week 2022.
Check out our short video of the week's highlights!
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Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Flag Raising | UCC Quad | Wed 16th Feb | 2:45pm
16 Feb 2022
Join us today, 16th February, at 2:45pm on the Quad as we raise the UCC Bystander Standard to highlight the issue of sexual harassment and violence and UCC’s support of our training to make our communities a better and safer place.
We’re raising the flag against sexual harassment & assault.
Let’s take a stand against all the red flags and start flying the Bystander Standard.
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Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Support Stands
15 Feb 2022
We have a number of support services joining us on campus this week for you to stop by for a chat, some information and to learn about what each of these organisations do.
Location of Support Stands:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – The Consent Tent
- Thursday – The Hub
Read on to find out who's joining us.
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[VIDEO] Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Art Exhibition
15 Feb 2022
Join us all week for our Bystander Intervention art exhibition, hosted by our friends in UCC Boole Library, showcasing Bystander-inspired art and words created by programme participants.
These pieces speak to the core of what we do: speaking up and out against harassment and violence.
The exhibition will be on display in the Boole Library until Friday 18th February.
Check out our video below.
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Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Society Events
14 Feb 2022
We are excited to be collaborating with a number of societies this week for Bystander Intervention Week with events that interrogate what it means to be an Active Bystander.
Read on for more details.
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Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Speaker Series
14 Feb 2022
All this week, we are inviting presentations from representatives from a number of organisations on how their work intersects with Bystander Intervention.
All presentations will take place at 11am online via Zoom.
Links below.
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Bystander Intervention Week 2022 - Schedule
10 Feb 2022
The schedule of events for Bystander Intervention Week 2022 is now available.
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Join us all week for an art exhibition in Boole Library, showcasing Bystander-inspired artworks grown out of the programme.
Tune in to presentations by speakers from organisations across Ireland at 11am during the week to hear their insights via Zoom.
We will have Support Stands on campus all week, where DASH, Women's Aid, the Sexual Violence Centre Cork and more will be available to chat.
We have also teamed up with societies to bring you a number of events from an Anti-Racism Workshop with UCC Fáilte Refugees Society & Good Day Cork, to 'Life After Experiencing Sexual Violence' with UCC Psych Soc & Sexual Violence Centre Cork, to a panel discussion on Male Allyship with UCC Fem Soc.
Updates on the week's events will be posted on the Bystander website: bystanderintervention.ucc.ie and our social media - Instagram: @bystanderucc | Twitter: @BystanderUcc -
Bystander Intervention Week 2022: Bystander Intervention to launch first targeted on-campus week of events since beginning of the pandemic
10 Feb 2022
Bystander Intervention Week 2022 is running from the 14th – 18th February with both digital and in-person events. The week will highlight the issue of gender-based violence and sexual harassment both on and off university campuses. It is the first UCC on-campus Intervention week since 2019 when a mural was erected on the Boole Library wall calling for an end to sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
Read on for more information on the week's events.
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Bystander Intervention on the Second Captains Podcast
19 Jan 2022
The murder of the 23-year-old teacher, musician & camogie player Ashling Murphy in Tullamore last week has opened up a national conversation around the harassment and violence suffered by women at the hands of men in our country.
Sinéad O’Carroll, editor of thejournal.ie, and Louise Crowley, professor at the School of Law and director of the Bystander Intervention programme in UCC, join the Second Captains Podcast to talk about what men can do, what the country can learn, and whether this is truly a watershed moment in Irish life.
You can listen to their conversation at the following link: https://www.secondcaptains.com/2022/01/19/episode-2238-violence-against-women-and-girls-and-what-society-can-do-about-it/
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University shows students how to intervene if a witness of sexual harassment
17 Jan 2022
UCC'S 'BYSTANDER INTERVENTION' PROGRAMME SEES INCREASED SIGN-UPS IN WAKE OF ASHLING MURPHY KILLING
Mark Cooper, a second-year law and business student at University College Cork, last week joined the university’s efforts to safeguard women in the wake of the killing of Ashling Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
He was not alone. Usually, “four, or five” students sign up for a place on the UCC “Bystander Intervention” programme which teaches students how to intervene if they witness sexual harassment.
Last Thursday, in the wake of the Murphy killing, over 30 students had come forward to join the intervention programme, says law academic Prof Louise Crowley, who set it up.
Read on irishtimes.com -
UCC educates students about inappropriate behaviour
16 Jan 2022
RTÉ Radio 1's Carole speaks to UCC's Professor Louise Crowley about the Bystander Intervention Programme which is teaching students to identify and call out inappropriate behaviour.
You can listen to the full RTÉ Radio 1 segment at the following link:
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22051406/
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Bystander Intervention in UCC: How we can all stand against sexual assault, harassment, and violence
16 Sep 2021
An unfortunate reality of university life at present is the prevalence of sexual assault. According to a 2020 study of sexual experiences, 29% of females, 10% of males and 28% of non-binary students reported non-consensual penetration during their time in college. A 2018 survey completed in NUIG reveals staggering percentages of students reporting sexual harassment and hostility during their time in university, particularly women. Given how startling the statistics surrounding the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment in university are, one may be left wondering how to combat these issues on campus.
Thankfully, Dr Louise Crowley of UCC Law developed the Bystander Intervention Programme, which aims to address the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence both on and off campus by empowering students to recognise unacceptable behaviour and to intervene accordingly. Registration for the Bystander Intervention programme is now open to all staff and students in UCC.
Read on uccexpress.ie -
National Campaign for UCC Bystander in HEI Launched
15 Sep 2021
On Friday the 3rd of September, UCC’s Bystander Intervention Programme launched its national campaign as training initiatives for staff and students across Irish Higher Education Universities. UCC’s Bystander intervention aims to raise awareness of not only the importance of safe and effective interventions, but also encourage staff and students to become active bystanders and develop the skills and awareness to address sexual violence harassments across third level institutions. This event was launched by Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC. The speakers featured in this event, that took place via Microsoft Teams, were Prof Louise Crowley, Claire Austick, President of the Union of Students Ireland (USI), Dr Ross Woods, Senior Manager for the Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality in the HEA, Margo Noonan from Cork SATU and Asha Woodhouse, President of the UCC SU.
Read on uccexpress.ie -
Students will be taught to intervene in sexual harassment situations
03 Sep 2021
A programme developed at University College Cork (UCC) which teaches students how to intervene if they witness sexual harassment is being rolled out to third-level institutions nationwide today.
The team behind UCC’s successful Bystander Intervention programme will launch a series of audio-visual learning materials to Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to help more students combat sexual harassment, both verbal and physical, and to build a culture of zero tolerance of sexual harassment and violence on campus.
Read on irishexaminer.com -
[VIDEO] UCC Bystander Intervention Team Launches New Video - 'Bystander Intervention: A Quick Guide'
03 Sep 2021
The Bystander Intervention team at UCC has developed a new 15 minute “quick guide” to being an effective bystander which will be used as part of their first year orientation for incoming UCC students this month, as well as rolled out across the staff and student body over the course of the academic year.
Given the obligation on all HEIs to deliver training under the National Framework, it is being made available to all HEIs, accessible through the embedded link here and below - so is immediately available and deliverable to student cohorts at orientation and beyond, over the 2021/22 academic year.
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National Campaign for Bystander Intervention training initiatives for staff and students across Irish Higher Education Institutions - Official Launch Webinar
31 Aug 2021
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#BystanderTalks Hits the Airwaves
30 Aug 2021
Members of our Bystander Team hit the national airwaves to explain our #BystanderTalks initiative which utilised the show 'Love Island' to identify and explore unacceptable and damaging behaviour including gaslighting and negging. Stations visited included 96FM, WLRFM and EastCoastFM.
You can listen to the full 96FM segment at the following link:
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Bystander Intervention on Niall Breslin's 'Where Is My Mind?' Podcast
30 Aug 2021
The Director of our Bystander Intervention programme Professor Louise Crowley chatted with Niall Breslin on his 'Where Is My Mind?' podcast to share how we have used Love Island case studies to teach students about toxic behaviours.
You can listen to the full podcast episode 'Fallen Out Of Love Island' at the following link (Bystander Intervention's section comes in at the 51:38 minute mark):
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SPXCVluiTGau1J2o4PaYZ
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UCC team uses Love Island to showcase 'toxic behaviours'
25 Aug 2021
The hit reality TV show is being used to showcase 'toxic behaviour' as part of a UCC-developed initiative which empowers students to challenge sexual harassment and violence.
UCC graduates Maeve McTaggart and Alana Daly-Mulligan have been using clips from this year’s show, which finished this week, as case studies and conversation starters as part of the university’s groundbreaking Bystander Intervention programme.
Read on irishexaminer.com -
Bystander Intervention on The Ryan Tubridy Show
20 Aug 2021
Professor Louise Crowley joined Ryan Tubridy on his RTE Radio 1 show to explain the causes for intervention inhibition, to share the many ways in which a person can make a safe and effective intervention, and to emphasise the potentially life-changing impact of a safe, timely and effective intervention.
Listen to their conversation here
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[VIDEO] Professor Louise Crowley joins Safety Over Stigma founder Alicia O'Sullivan, before the Oireachtas Committee considering the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, to highlight the dangers of inadequate regulation of online platfo
21 Jul 2021
Professor Louise Crowley joined UCC Law student Alicia O’Sullivan, founder of Safety Over Stigma, in appearing before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism Culture, Arts, Sport and Media as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, to highlight the dangers posed by the inadequate regulation of online platforms and the related scope for online abuse.
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‘Unprecedented impact’: Over 40pc rise in people contacting Women's Aid last year
22 Jun 2021
Women's Aid have described the latest abuse statistics as "shocking".
Professor Louise Crowley, Senior Lecturer in Family Law at University College Cork, says there are “many shortcomings” in Irish domestic violence laws.
Read on independent.ie -
Domestic violence 'falls between' the cracks at national level, charities warn
22 Jun 2021
The annual report from Women’s Aid showed more than 30,000 disclosures were made in 2020, with an increase of 43% in terms of contacts made with its support services compared to that in 2019.
Professor Louise Crowley, a Senior Lecturer in Family Law at University College Cork and the author of the leading Irish family law text, Family Law, said a Junior Minister - at the very least - should now be appointed to take direct responsibility for domestic and sexual violence, which she said was “a national crisis”.
Read on irishexaminer.com -
[VIDEO] Men Choosing to Challenge: Voices from across Higher Education
14 May 2021
UCC Bystander Intervention invited male allies from across UCC and the broader higher education sector to give their perspective on why they choose to challenge gender inequality, sexual harassment and violence.
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Students have their say on overhaul of sex education
04 May 2021
How students learn about sex and relationships is currently being overhauled, following a major review that heard many different views on how young people should be educated about things like consent, contraception and porn.
Is bystander training the way forward?
Read on irishexaminer.com -
[VIDEO] Women Choosing to Challenge: Voices from UCC students and staff
08 Mar 2021
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2021, the Bystander Intervention team released a powerful video highlighting how UCC female students and staff are challenging gender inequality and gender based violence.
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Relationship, Violence and the Law
27 Oct 2020
On Thursday October 29th at 6:00 pm the UCC Law Society in collaboration with the UCC Fem Soc will host a House Meeting kindly sponsored by A&L Goodbody, on “Relationship Violence and the Law” with particular focus on coercive control and domestic violence.
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[VIDEO] UCC Flashmobsters against Gender-Based Violence
15 Oct 2020
A short video co-created by UCC Bystander Intervention with UCC CASiLaC's Violence, Conflict and Gender research cluster, to respond to and build on the multilingual flash mob organised in February of this year, in collaboration with students and staff of UCC, in its rejection of patriarchal violence and victim-blaming narratives.
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Pushing out boundaries on school sex education
06 Feb 2019
Dr Louise Crowley, a law lecturer at University College Cork, has developed a bystander intervention programme for third-level students - it is available online to all UCC students since last week - and is now delivering a modified version for use in second-level schools.
Read on independent.ie -
UCC launches programme to educate on sexual harassment, violence
29 Jan 2019
An online education programme aimed at building a culture of zero tolerance toward sexual harassment and violence has been launched by University College Cork.
Read on rte.ie -
UCC students unveil mural against sexual violence in college
28 Jan 2019
University College Cork students will unveil a mural on Monday calling for an end to sexual violence and harassment in third-level institutions. It is part of a campaign by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) to create a culture of zero tolerance towards such behaviours.
Read on irishtimes.com -
UCC to expand anti-harassment programme
28 Jan 2019
A culture of zero tolerance to verbal or physical sexual harrassment is to be encouraged at one of the country’s largest universities by the expansion of an intervention programme to all 22,000 students.
Read on irishexaminer.com -
Transition year students to have access to sexual consent workshops
28 Jan 2019
Transition year schools will have access to sexual consent workshops and classes under a new national initiative.
Read on irishtimes.com -
Students who see sexual harassment are taught how to intervene
26 Jan 2019
Students at University College Cork will be taught how to intervene if they witness sexual harassment or violence. The “bystander intervention programme”, to be started next week, is designed to “build a culture of zero tolerance to prevent and combat sexual harassment and violence” and “everyday sexism” on and off campus.
Read on thetimes.co.uk