Showing Support
Curtis Hooley
Logan City PD
Mayor Holly Daines
Logan City
Logan City PD
Logan City
Upstanding is something we encourage individuals to take part in, but our community has a huge impact on whether people feel empowered to act. Learning how to create an Upstanding community can be difficult and takes time, but as community leaders, creating a safe environment should be something we strive for. We are able to prevent violence when we support community members in changing harmful social norms.
What is Harm & Violence
The first step to becoming an Upstander is recognizing when harm is being done. Opportunities to be an Upstander are all around us when we know what to look for. ‘Harm and violence’ is any behavior that causes mental, emotional, physical, or social injury of a person or group.
Examples
Cyberbullying
Rumor spreading/gossip
Blackmail
Dating abuse
Hate speech/oppression
Bias & Stigma
Bias is the belief that some people, groups, or ideas, are better than others. Stigma is a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something. Both bias and stigma are often negative or result in unfair treatment. (Source: Cambridge Dictionary) This can be a difficult discussion for many people to have, however, it’s important that we can recognize how our own bias and stigma can prevent us from being Upstanders, or even contribute to harm!
One question many people have is “how does my bias have the ability to contribute to the harm of others?” Here are a few examples!
Bias: Women are always victims of violence and men are always perpetrators of violence.
Impact: We’re less likely to believe a man could be abused by a female partner, and might make jokes or blame them for what they’ve experienced, or be less likely to intervene if we see a woman harming a man. This bias also excludes gender-diverse people from the conversation!
Bias: People can do something to provoke harm (ex: a woman wearing revealing clothing wouldn’t be dressed that way if she didn’t want attention).
Impact: We blame survivors of violence for what has happened to them, and believe that there is something they could have done to avoid the harm
When can Upstanding be used?
Upstanding can be used in many different situations, including cyberbullying, rumor spreading, dating abuse, hate speech and oppression, and even mental health struggles. Upstanding can also be used if you believe there is potential that harm is being done. It’s OK to check in and be wrong!
You can Upstand before, during, or after witnessing harm.
How to intervene?
Intervention can take many different forms, and it’s important to find what works for you! Some people might be more comfortable with a direct approach, and some are going to feel better about using an indirect approach – and that’s awesome! Here are some examples of how you can intervene!
Personal safety
Your own safety is the most important thing to keep in mind when you are acting as an Upstander! If you enter into a situation that is unsafe, you yourself could get hurt – in addition to the person you are trying to help!
What would make a situation unsafe?
Alternative options for if it’s unsafe
Remember that there is a very big difference between being uncomfortable vs unsafe. Upstanding is an uncomfortable thing to do, even if you think you’re doing the right thing. That’s normal and expected! However, Upstanding should not be unsafe
If you want more information or are part of a club/organization that could benefit from an Upstanding training, email Shellie@capsa.org.
24/7 Support Phone:
UTAH: 435-753-2500
IDAHO: 208-540-8536
Mail: P.O. Box 3617, Logan, Utah 84323
Email: info@capsa.org
CAPSA is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to CAPSA are tax-deductible, to the extent permitted by law.
CAPSA’s tax identification number is 87-0413330.