Our Netreach Coordinator Stella Liapi shares the benefits of Bystander Training delivered by the Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner.
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign beginning on 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and concluding on 10th December, Human Rights Day.
Inspired by this year’s White Ribbon Day theme ‘It Starts with Men’, emphasising the importance of tackling harmful gender norms and expectations and encouraging men to hold themselves accountable to women and each other, the Netreach Project team wanted to spread awareness of the significant rise online harms, and technology-facilitated abuse (‘tech abuse’), and the importance of being an active bystander in online spaces.
The National Netreach Programme is a collaborative project facilitated by Changing Lives and Social Finance commissioned by the Home Office under the Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Supporting Children (PVSC): What Works Funding (WWF) till March 2025. It aims to support victims of online harms and tech abuse, as well as those advertising sexual services online.
Our Netreach workers regularly come across content containing imagery depicting often sexually violent acts, which can be easily accessed by the general public. Flagging and reporting concerning adverts on classified websites, and threads on forums is part of their day-to-day responsibilities. According to the new report examining sextortion cases on SWGfL’s Revenge Porn Helpline from August 2022 to August 2024 published by the UK Safer Internet Centre found that ‘over 92% of the content was recorded or exchanged on social media platforms’, and in particular, Snapchat was identified used the most to record such content, potentially due to its disappearing messages feature. More than half of our current caseload (54%) are individuals identified to be victims of online harms/tech abuse, and/or needing support around staying safe online.
On that note, we wanted to raise awareness on initiatives such as the Active Bystander Training delivered by the Northumbria PCC here in the North East, which aims to give the knowledge and practical tools and techniques to intervene skilfully and safely in a range of situations. This training can also be applied on online spaces, aside from responding to sexual harassment in public spaces. Being attuned to harmful behaviours and having the confidence to have conversations around issues of misogynistic beliefs can help prevent violence against women and girls and push for that real culture change which is very much needed.
A Changing Lives colleague who attended the 2-day course ran by Northumbria PCC reported how she benefitted from it:
'I feel more aware of my surroundings and empowered to challenge either a friend, colleague, or stranger as an active bystander.'
The Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said:
‘We are currently in the throes of the national 16 days of action campaign against gender-based violence and I want to use this opportunity to tell local businesses in our region about Active Bystander Training. Public sexual harassment shouldn’t be a fact of life and everyone can play a vital role in helping drive change in our society. My office has funded Kindling Interventions training that gives people the understanding and confidence to have conversations with friends, family and colleagues around issues like misogyny and sexism that lead to violence against women and girls. I recently called into a session my office were delivering to local tech business Opencast - clearly a forward-thinking company that gets its responsibility with this, and I hope others will follow their lead.’
Finally, it is important to note that the responsibility for enacting gender-based violence, or any violent acts, should always fall on the perpetrator. Just like Gisele Pelicot, a survivor of a mass rape case of 51 men orchestrated by her husband, which recently came to light stated during the ongoing rape trial ‘it's not for us to have shame, it's for them’.
Violence against women and girls is not a matter that will be solved on an individual level; however, the responsibility sits across all of us to have a united approach to embrace survivors and create safe spaces for those who have been harmed and/ or are still exposed to abuse to come forward. We cannot and will not stay silent!
Please see below links for online harms and tech abuse related support services and helplines:
