Bias and Discrimination
Approaching Bias and Discrimination Situations Through a Bystander Intervention Lens
Bias is common on campus and in the workplace.
Approximately 44% of college students report witnessing biased comments, assumptions, or behaviors in academic or campus settings, while nearly 33% of employees report experiencing or witnessing bias at work.
Source: List Here.
Bias and discrimination are issues that bystanders are likely to encounter across many settings and contexts.
Bias refers to attitudes, assumptions, or stereotypes—often unconscious—that shape how people perceive and treat others. Discrimination occurs when those biases translate into unfair actions, behaviors, or policies.
Bias and discrimination can show up in many forms, ranging from subtle comments or assumptions to overt behaviors or patterns of exclusion. These situations often occur in everyday environments such as classrooms, residence halls, workplaces, social spaces, and online platforms. Because they are frequently normalized, minimized, or framed as jokes or misunderstandings, bias and discrimination can be difficult for bystanders to recognize and respond to confidently.
Step UP! addresses bias and discrimination through a bystander intervention framework.
Rather than positioning individuals as enforcers or experts, the focus is on helping bystanders notice concerning behavior, understand why these situations are complex, and make thoughtful, values-based decisions about how to respond in ways that prioritize safety, dignity, and shared responsibility.
What Bystanders May Notice
Situations involving bias and discrimination are often revealed through observable behaviors, patterns, or interactions rather than a single clear-cut moment.
- Biased comments, jokes, stereotypes, or assumptions directed at an individual or group.
- Dismissive language or behavior that minimizes someone’s identity or lived experience.
- Exclusion from conversations, activities, opportunities, or decision-making spaces.
- Differential treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, or other aspects of identity.
- Microaggressions, such as repeated subtle comments or behaviors that communicate bias or disrespect.
- Online posts, messages, or shared content that reinforce stereotypes or demean individuals or groups.
- Visible discomfort, withdrawal, or changes in behavior from someone who may be experiencing bias or discrimination.
Challenges
Bias and discrimination can be especially challenging for bystanders to navigate due to ambiguity, social risk, and broader systemic factors.
Common challenges include:
- Ambiguity about intent versus impact, particularly in subtle or indirect behaviors
- Social norms that excuse or normalize biased language or actions
- Power dynamics related to roles, status, identity, or authority that may limit perceived options for intervention
- Fear of social, academic, or professional consequences for speaking up
- Concern about escalating tension or making a situation worse
- Uncertainty about how the person experiencing bias wants support or intervention
- Personal identity, lived experience, and past exposure shaping how bystanders interpret situations
- Community or cultural messaging that discourages naming or addressing bias
- Balancing accountability with safety and care for everyone involved
Considerations When Helping
There are many ways bystanders may choose to respond in bias and discrimination situations. The options below highlight a small selection of common support approaches and are not exhaustive, prescriptive, or required. Appropriate responses will always depend on context, safety, and relationships, and are written in behavioral terms to support thoughtful, flexible action.
In situations involving bias and discrimination, awareness of systemic patterns and cultural context often matters as much as immediate action.
- Interrupt the behavior, not the person.
Briefly naming the behavior (“That comment isn’t okay here.”) can stop harm without escalating or shaming. - Support the person impacted.
Check in privately or publicly, depending on the context, to affirm dignity and signal that the behavior was noticed and matters. - Use questions to slow things down.
Asking a neutral, clarifying question (“What do you mean by that?”) can interrupt bias and create space for reflection. - Shift the focus or redirect the moment.
Changing the subject, moving the group forward, or setting a boundary can reduce harm when direct confrontation isn’t safe. - Leverage relationships and roles.
Who you are in the situation matters. Sometimes the most effective intervention is from someone with relational or positional influence. - Name values or expectations.
Referencing shared norms (“That doesn’t align with how we treat people here.”) reinforces community standards without personal attacks.
How Training Builds Intervention Skills
Step UP! trainings help bystanders develop the awareness and confidence to apply the Step UP! Framework in situations that may involve bias or discrimination concerns. Through realistic scenarios and guided discussion, bystanders practice considering context and relationships and choosing responses that are thoughtful, flexible, and appropriate to situations involving identity, stereotypes, or exclusion.
The Step UP! framework and supplemental strategies help bystanders understand the influences that shape behavior and build the skills needed to respond appropriately. It connects situational awareness, relationship dynamics, and broader social influences with practical intervention tools that align with bystanders’ comfort levels and safety. The training is dynamic, interactive, and participatory, providing a comprehensive approach to bystander intervention across multiple topics.
Helpful Resources
In some situations involving bias and discrimination, seeking additional support may be the most appropriate and responsible course of action.
Helpful resources may include campus or workplace equity and inclusion offices, bias response or reporting systems, trusted supervisors, faculty, or mentors, counseling or wellness services, and community-based or national civil rights organizations. In cases where safety is an immediate concern, emergency or crisis resources may be appropriate.
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – Resources on bias, hate incidents, extremism education, and prevention
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) – Hate group reporting, educational materials, and civil rights resources
NAACP – Advocacy, history, and tools addressing racial discrimination and equity
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – Legal rights, discrimination law, and racial justice resources
National Equity Project – Equity frameworks and leadership resources on bias and structural inequity
Step UP! reinforces that bystanders are not expected to resolve bias or discrimination alone. Connecting someone to appropriate resources reflects shared responsibility, sound judgment, and care for both the individual impacted and the broader community.
Customized Training That Fits Your Community
Take the next step to customize Step UP! training for your audience:
