Strategic Resistance vs. Bystander Intervention: Do I Call on Others, or Myself?
By Casey Laplante and Meera Seshadri
Introduction: The Evolution of Prevention Strategies
For decades, bystander intervention has been a growing and effective tool in violence prevention, empowering individuals to recognize, respond to, and prevent harmful behaviors in real time. While bystander intervention has been a transformative strategy, Soteria Solutions recognizes the need for multiple approaches. An essential and complementary method to bystander intervention is Strategic Resistance. Strategic Resistance moves beyond reactive intervention and toward proactive strategies that acknowledge the intersections of identity, power, and safety, and confront the environmental conditions that support the perpetration of harm.
Soteria Solutions has long been recognized for pioneering prevention strategies rooted in evidence-based research, behavioral psychology, and public health theories of behavior change. One of our latest curriculum collaborations involved incorporating Strategic Resistance as a strategy that acknowledges the limitations of bystander intervention and expands the lens to encompass the lived experience of communities with minoritized identities and the structural determinants of violence and harassment.
Philosophical Foundations: From Bystander Action to Systemic Change
Bystander intervention is grounded in the belief that individuals witnessing harm have the power and responsibility to act (Banyard, 2011). This approach focuses on recognizing and interrupting harmful behaviors, intervening in ways that are most authentic to both one’s own identities and those of the person experiencing harm, and shifting norms through collective mobilization and community engagement. It has proven extremely effective in college campuses, workplaces, and military settings, demonstrating measurable reductions in sexual harassment and assault (Coker et al., 2016).
Bystander Intervention, however, is limited by the fact that one has to have a community surrounding them in order to create a shared understanding of harm and subsequently, call on others to support them in situations of violence. It also does not take into account the lived realities of individuals who hold identities and/or come from communities that have limited trust in governing systems and institutions. Strategic Resistance, by comparison, expands the focus from isolated instances of intervention to the environments and systems that govern our attitudes, behaviors, and ultimately, our safety. Strategic Resistance asks us to view the individual in the hard realities within which they live and intervene, subvert, and alter the system – especially if calling on others is not a privilege afforded to them for a multitude of reasons. Rooted in feminist theory, power dynamics analysis, and organizational change models (Freire, 1970; Ullman 1997 and 2007; Senn et al., 2017), Strategic Resistance reframes the role of individuals from reactive bystanders to proactive change agents embedded within social systems.
Strategic Resistance: A Shift in the Prevention Perspective
Strategic Resistance builds on the pillars of bystander intervention by incorporating three fundamental pillars:
Cultural and Policy-Level Change – Instead of solely focusing on individual intervention, this approach equips organizations with tools to identify, disrupt, and dismantle systemic barriers to equity and safety. It integrates policy advocacy, leadership accountability, and workplace climate assessments to prevent harm before it occurs.
Intersectionality – Recognizing that experiences of violence and harassment are shaped by the intersections of identity, power, and safety, Strategic Resistance ensures that prevention efforts are tailored, intersectional, and community-led. This builds more resilient cultures where harmful behaviors are not only interrupted but are fundamentally less likely to emerge (Crenshaw, 1991).
Moving from Tertiary and Secondary Prevention → Primary Prevention – Unlike traditional bystander training, which often relies on one-time sessions, Strategic Resistance is integrated into ongoing professional development, leadership training, and organizational policy frameworks. It positions employees, leaders, and institutional stakeholders as long-term partners in prevention rather than occasional, reactive responders.
Soteria Solutions: Leading the Charge
Soteria Solutions has consistently been at the forefront of prevention science, exploring and evolving our methodologies to meet the challenges of workplace harassment, campus safety, and institutional accountability. Although our Bringing in the Bystander® (BITB) program revolutionized bystander training, we recognize that by incorporating Strategic Resistance into our prevention philosophy, we are responding to and reshaping the landscape of violence prevention by meeting individuals and communities in the realities of their personal and professional spaces.
Through research-backed curricula and partnerships with federal agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations, Soteria Solutions is bridging the gap between intervention and prevention by creating prevention strategies that begin with acknowledging the ways individuals must keep themselves safe in environments where bystander intervention is not always possible. In our qualitative and quantitative research phases, we insist on making room for individuals and communities to share their experiences at the intersections of identity, power, and safety, allowing us to formulate the best possible prevention approach, curriculum, and/or training required. Our work ensures that institutions move beyond compliance and toward transformational change that disrupts cycles of harm at their root causes.
Bystander Intervention & Strategic Resistance: Yes/And, not Either/Or
As the landscape of violence prevention continues to evolve, Soteria Solutions will remain at the helm, developing strategies that go beyond individual instances of intervention and compliance toward sustainable resistance and systemic transformation.
To learn more about our Strategic Resistance program and how we can work together to create lasting change, connect with us today at info@soteriasolutions.org or click the connect button below. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your existing prevention efforts or implement a comprehensive, systemic approach, Soteria Solutions offers the expertise and tools to drive meaningful progress. Let’s build a future where prevention is not just reactive but embedded in the very structures that shape our communities. Reach out to explore how we can collaborate to advance this critical work.
References
Banyard, V. L. (2011). Who will help prevent sexual violence: Creating an ecological model of bystander intervention. Psychology of Violence, 1(3), 216–229.
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299.
Coker, A. L., Fisher, B. S., Bush, H. M., Swan, S. C., Williams, C. M., Clear, E. R., & DeGue, S. (2016). Evaluation of the Green Dot Bystander Intervention to reduce interpersonal violence among college students across three campuses. Violence Against Women, 22(4), 401–418.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Senn, C. Y., Eliasziw, M., Hobden, K. L., Newby-Clark, I. R., Barata, P. C., Radtke, H. L., & Thurston, W. E. (2017). Secondary and 2-Year Outcomes of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University Women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 41(2), 147–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684317690119
Ullman, S. E. (1997). Review and Critique of Empirical Studies of Rape Avoidance. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 24(2), 177–204.
Ullman, S. E. (2007). A 10-year update of “review and critique of empirical studies of rape avoidance.” Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(3), 411–429. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854806297117