:: Upstander behavior is essentially socially responsible behavior.

Although our focus here is on bully-victim behavior, when we walk down the hall and see garbage on the floor, someone who is clearly upset or being bullied, we all make a choice. We either decide to be a passive bystander who does nothing or an upstander who says, “I will do something to help make things better.”

In bully-victim situations, an upstander is someone who recognizes the situation and does something to make it right.

:: The Influence of Upstanders

A recent report looked at the 37 lethal shootings since 1975, and close to 300 people knew about the attacks. In 4 out of 5 of these violent attacks, student witnesses knew about the plans, but most chose not to tell. * (U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Department of Education and Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital)

School climate – or how safe and connected a person felt to a responsible adult at school – was a major factor in shaping passive bystander or “upstander” behavior. In other words, working to create a safe, caring, connected and responsive school climate can save lives.