One ACT

One ACT is UNC's bystander intervention training program for students, faculty, and staff. In this 2-hour interactive workshop, participants will learn how to identify potentially harmful situations and intervene proactively to prevent violence. While they learn, participants will engage in a number of in-depth discussions about prevention strategies and exercise their skills with a series of realistic practice scenarios.

Why Bystander Intervention?

Preventing sexual harassment is everybody’s responsibility. An engaged bystander is someone who lives up to that responsibility by intervening before, during, or after a situation when they see or hear behaviors that threaten, harass, or otherwise encourage sexual violence.

The behaviors that make up sexual violence exist on a spectrum. While some behaviors – such as sexist jokes, inappropriate sexual comments, innuendos, catcalling, or vulgar gestures – aren’t illegal, this does not make them any less threatening or harmful to the person experiencing them. These situations also take place across a range of locations and settings – often in public spaces, workplaces, schools, communities, and online. All of us must embrace our voices to demonstrate that these behaviors will not be tolerated.

Source: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center

The One ACT Model

Every dangerous situation is unique and requires a unique response. With One ACT, we train bystanders on a variety of intervention techniques so they can choose the strategy that best fits each situation they encounter.

With the One ACT Model, we teach bystanders to A.C.T.

  • Ask for Help: if you don't know what to do, find someone who can help
  • Create a Distraction: if direct confrontation doesn't feel safe, create a distraction to help the victim get away safely
  • Talk Directly: engage the person causing harm and tell them to stop what they're doing

It only takes One ACT to stop violence from happening!

Request a One ACT Training for your Organization!

One ACT is ideal for student clubs, athletic teams, residence halls, fraternities and sororities, or any other social organization on campus. Request a training using our VPAS Training Request Form!

Sharing and printing options: