Scenario: A Unit Activity

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

You are a Warrant Officer (WO) attending a unit activity when you notice the Deputy Commanding Officer (DCO) constantly seeking out and cornering Junior Members for conversation, touching their shoulders, backs, or elbows, and often leaning in towards them (i.e., getting in their “personal space”). The Junior Members don’t look comfortable with the attention. 

Categories

• Principles: Respect the Dignity of all Persons, Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Courage
• Cultural themes: Identity, Leadership, Teamwork
• Misconduct types: Sexual Misconduct, Abuse of Power
• GBA Plus themes: Rank
• Audience: Canadian Armed Forces

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Identify the roles and responsibilities of bystanders in incidents of Sexual Misconduct. 
• Recognize potential obstacles that prevent intervention. 
• Identify bystander interventions. 

Facilitation Questions

1. What is the problem in this scenario?  
   • Open group discussion.   
2. Describe how the DCO’s behaviour could be harmful to the affected persons? Does intent matter? 
   • Open group discussion.   
   • Junior Members, who are the affected persons in this scenario, may feel the behavior is an abuse of power and may feel uncomfortable to reject the attention without a fear of reprisal.  They may feel intimidated. 
   • Attention can be misunderstood, leading to unnecessary duress.  
   • We tend to focus on the intent of the individual and forget about the impact it has on affected persons. When we focus on impact – what would be the physical, emotional, and mental impact of this kind of behaviour on junior members? What would it imply to the junior members about their rights, bodily autonomy, culture, and hierarchy in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)?
3. What are some of the things you could do to intervene in this situation (using the 5Ds of Bystander Intervention strategies)? 
   Use the 5D’s of bystander intervention to guide your actions. Note that you can combine strategies for better effect (meaning, to quickly address the incident of sexual misconduct). In any case, use your judgment, common sense and consider your own strengths and weaknesses when choosing which approach may be best for you.
   • Delay - Wait until an appropriate time to intervene, however, monitor the situation to ensure the affected person is safe.  Check in with the affected person.
   • Delegate - Ask another person, who is rank appropriate, to intervene in the situation.  
   • Distract - Interrupting the situation by changing the direction of conversation, such as introducing a new topic to refocus the DCO’s attention on you.  
   • Direct – WO should speak up.  Be clear and Firm.
   • Non-verbal disapproval - refuse to join in. Through non-verbal behaviors, make it known that this behavior is being notice and you disapprove. Ex: Shake your head or make a gesture with your hands suggesting the perpetrator stop.
   • It is also useful to Document – If the situation is escalated, and someone is already intervening, record on your phone or take notes of what the aggressor is doing. (do not share without the permission of the affected person).  What happens to the documentation (used or destroyed) is determined by the affected person.
4. What could you do, as a bystander, to safely support the affected persons? 
   • Prevent the behaviour before it escalates. As a bystander, always be aware of your surroundings and identify potential harmful behaviour.  
   • Respond to the incident. Take future steps in support of the affected persons such as offering support services (e.g., the phone number of the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre) and/or by using bystander intervention strategies.
   • Support the affected persons. Early intervention can protect both the junior members and the DCO from future harm.