Bystander intervention training: the 5 Ds with 10 practice scenarios

Most people who experience harassment at work do not report it. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Select Task Force found in its 2016 report that "roughly three out of four individuals who experienced harassment never even talked to a supervisor, manager, or union representative about the harassing conduct". That leaves the people who see it happen as the first, and often the only, chance to step in.

That is what bystander intervention training is for. It gives co-workers a small set of safe, practised options for the moment they see something wrong. This post gives you the 5 Ds, 10 practice scenarios in 2 sets of 5, each with a suggested D, and a 45-minute plan to run the session. Each set ends with an Our pick, the scenario we would practise first, with a one-line reason.

All the people, teams and companies below are made up.

Why bystander training works

The EEOC Select Task Force said it "believe[s] that bystander intervention training might be effective in the workplace" and that it could "give employees the skills and confidence to intervene in some manner to stop harassment". It recommended that employers consider including bystander intervention training as part of a holistic harassment prevention programme. The same report says more research is needed on how well it works at work, so treat it as one part of a programme, not the whole of it.

The Task Force also noted that bystander training lets an employer make clear that any employee who steps up to stop harassment will be protected from negative repercussions. Say that out loud in your session. People step in more readily when they know the organisation has their back.

One more point for trainers. Not everything in the scenarios below is unlawful harassment. The EEOC says that petty slights, annoyances and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. Bystander skills are useful well before a line of law is crossed, because a quiet check-in or a change of subject can stop things getting worse.

The 5 Ds of bystander intervention

The 5 Ds come from the anti-harassment organisation Right To Be. In 2012 it partnered with the bystander programme Green Dot, which pioneered three Ds (Distract, Delegate, Direct). Right To Be added Delay in 2015 and Document in 2017. Its guide says the Ds are designed to be safe and not to escalate situations, and that four of the five are indirect.

1. Distract. Interrupt the incident without confronting anyone. Ignore the person causing harm and talk to the person being targeted about something unrelated, such as asking for directions or the time, or cut across the situation by standing between them. Fits: when you feel it could escalate, or you prefer a quiet approach. Unsafe when: the person causing harm is likely to follow the target out of the room.
2. Delegate. Ask someone else for help, ideally someone with authority in the space, such as a manager or a security officer, or a colleague who is better placed. At work, HR is also a natural choice. Be clear about what you saw and what help you want. Fits: when the behaviour is serious, or comes from someone senior to you. Unsafe when: you pass the problem on and then do nothing to check it was dealt with.
3. Document. Note what happened: who, where, when and what was said. Right To Be's guidance is to first check that someone is already helping the person, then ask the person what they want to do with a recording or notes, and never share it without their permission. Fits: when someone else is already supporting the target. Unsafe when: you document instead of helping, or you share it without consent. Follow your company's policy on recording.
4. Delay. If you cannot act in the moment, check in afterwards. Ask whether they are okay, say you saw it, ask how you can help and offer to sit with them, and help them make a report if they want to. Fits: almost always, because you can use it when you could not act in the moment. Unsafe when: rarely, because it involves no confrontation.
5. Direct. Say something short and plain, such as "That's not okay." Right To Be says to use it with caution because the person causing harm may turn on you, and gives four questions to ask first: are you physically safe, is the person being harassed physically safe, does it seem unlikely to escalate, and can you tell whether they want someone to speak up? Fits: when the answer to all four is yes. Unsafe when: any answer is no. Do not argue with the person.

You rarely need only one D. A common pattern is Distract in the moment, then Delay to check in, then Delegate if the behaviour continues.

10 bystander intervention scenarios

Each scenario has one or two suggested Ds. There is no single right answer, so use them to start a discussion, not to end one.

Set 1: At your desk, on chat and on calls

1. The meeting talk-over. In a team meeting, Marco keeps cutting off Priya and says "let the grown-ups speak" when she tries to continue. Suggested: Direct ("I'd like to hear the rest of Priya's point") if you feel safe, or Distract by asking Priya a question about her project.
2. The chat-channel joke. Someone posts a joke about older colleagues in the team channel, and two people react with a laughing emoji. Suggested: Delay (message the person it targets) and Delegate (use your reporting route if it continues). Direct is possible in a private message to the poster.
3. The remote-call comment. On a video call, a client comments on a colleague's appearance and she goes quiet. Suggested: Distract by moving the agenda on, then Delay with a private message to check she is okay.
4. The hallway remark. You overhear a manager making a sexual remark to a new starter. Suggested: Delegate to HR or another manager, and Delay by talking to the new starter. Direct is risky given the power gap.
5. The email pile-on. A group email thread turns into mocking one colleague's accent. Suggested: Document (keep the thread), Delay with the colleague and Delegate to your manager or HR if it carries on.

Our pick: scenario 3, the remote-call comment. Remote calls remove the cues you rely on in a room, and the fastest safe move, changing the subject, is easy to practise. Pair it with a private check-in so the person knows someone noticed.

Set 2: Beyond the desk

6. After-work drinks. At the team social, a colleague keeps buying drinks for a new starter and standing too close, and she keeps stepping back. Suggested: Distract ("Come and meet the team"), then Delay to check in. Delegate to a manager if the behaviour carries on.
7. The customer at the counter. A customer makes racist remarks to the colleague serving them. Suggested: Delegate to a supervisor, Distract by stepping in to take over the transaction, and Delay afterwards. Direct only if you are sure it is safe.
8. The client dinner. A senior client makes personal comments to a junior colleague on a business trip. Suggested: Distract and Delegate to your own manager, then Delay. Direct is hard when business is at stake, so plan this one ahead.
9. The conference stand. A visitor to your event stand will not stop asking a colleague for her personal number. Suggested: Distract (step in and ask her to help with something), then Delegate to the event lead or venue security.
10. The lift. A colleague says a manager keeps asking her to meet one-to-one outside work hours, and she feels she cannot say no. You are the only person she has told. Suggested: Delay and Delegate: listen, tell her about your reporting route and offer to go with her. Document only if she wants you to.

Our pick: scenario 10, the lift. It is the quietest scenario and the most likely to happen in real life. It shows that being a bystander is not always about what you see in the moment. It can be about what you do after you are told.

Run a 45-minute bystander intervention session

1. 5 minutes: why this matters. Share the EEOC finding above and ask the group how they would feel being the person nobody spoke up for.
2. 10 minutes: teach the 5 Ds. Cover one line each. Spend the longest on Direct and its four safety questions.
3. 20 minutes: scenarios in pairs. Give each pair two scenarios, one from each set. They agree one or two Ds, then say the exact words they would use out loud.
4. 10 minutes: debrief. Ask which D felt easiest, which felt hardest and which would be unsafe in your own workplace. End with how to report, and what protection from retaliation looks like where you work.

Run it again in six months with new scenarios from your own teams, with names removed. A short session that repeats beats a long one that does not.

Ways to host a bystander intervention session with AhaSlides

AhaSlides lets you run the session live, in a room or on a video call, and can keep answers anonymous so quieter people take part.

1. Spinner Wheel: pick the scenario. Put the 10 scenarios on a wheel and spin to choose the next one. It removes the awkward "who goes first" moment.
2. Pick Answer: which D? Show the scenario and ask which D fits best. Reveal the spread of answers, then discuss why people chose differently.
3. Word Cloud: "What I would say". Ask for a few words they would use in the moment. The biggest words become your shared script.
4. Rating Scale: "How likely am I to step in?" Ask before and after the session on a 1 to 5 scale and compare the averages.
5. Open Ended: "A time I wish I had stepped in". Collect answers anonymously and read out the themes, without names.

The Harassment prevention - Employees (US federal) course template gives you ready-made slides to adapt for the wider session.

What to take away from the research

The finding at the top is the reason this training exists. When roughly three out of four people who experience harassment never tell a supervisor, manager or union representative, the EEOC Task Force's data says a colleague who notices may be the only person in a position to act. Three habits make that realistic:

1. Pick a D, not a heroic act. Delay and Delegate are always available, and Distract needs no confrontation.
2. Check in afterwards. A short "I saw that, are you okay?" is the step least likely to carry risk.
3. Know where to report. A bystander who knows the reporting route and the protection from retaliation is better placed to use it.

For wider ideas for your learning calendar, see our guide to employee training topics. For running the session itself, our guide to planning a training session helps.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 5 Ds of bystander intervention?

Direct, Distract, Delegate, Delay and Document. They are five ways to step in, from a quiet word afterwards to a short, plain statement in the moment. Right To Be's guide describes them and says four of the five are indirect.

Is bystander intervention training required?

The EEOC Select Task Force recommended that employers consider it. It did not make it a requirement. Some states have their own harassment training rules, so check your state regulator for what applies to your workplace.

How long is bystander intervention training?

Around 45 to 60 minutes for a first session. The plan above fits into 45: 5 for the why, 10 for the 5 Ds, 20 for scenarios in pairs and 10 for the debrief.

Which D is safest?

In our view, Delay, then Delegate. You can check in after the incident, or pass it to someone with authority, without confronting anyone. Direct carries the most risk, which is why Right To Be gives four safety questions to ask first.

Does bystander intervention training work?

The EEOC Select Task Force believes it has real potential but says more research is needed on how well it works in workplaces. Use it alongside a clear reporting route and protection from retaliation, not instead of them.

Where to start

Pick one scenario from each set and run them at your next team meeting, in pairs. If you only have time for one, make it the lift, then ask everyone what they would say first.

This post is general information, not legal advice. For a decision about your own workplace, speak to a qualified employment lawyer or the regulator.