What kind of community do we want to be?
It's a simple question, but how we answer it shapes everything about our culture on campus.
At the heart of every inclusive community is a shared commitment, not just to tolerate one another, but to actively support, protect, and uplift each other. This commitment becomes especially important in moments when silence feels easier than speaking up.
That’s where being an Active Bystander comes in. The Active Bystander training is a core part of students' induction and time at UCL.
What we're aiming to achieve
The Active Bystander Programme is not just another training module and workshop. It’s a call to action. A call to every member of our community. We all have a role to play in creating a safer, more respectful environment at UCL, and beyond. The goal of the Active Bystander Programme is simple but powerful: to equip every member of our community with the skills to recognise and challenge unacceptable behaviours, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct - and the confidence to safely intervene.
Why this matters
Active Bystander training helps everyone (especially communities who are most impacted by harassment, bullying, or exclusion). By making this programme a core element of students’ induction and time at UCL, we're all working together to create a campus where everyone feels safe, included, and respected.
Be part of the impact
Being an active bystander means noticing when something isn’t right and choosing to take action. It doesn’t mean putting yourself in danger or confronting everything head-on, it means doing something to disrupt harm, support the person affected, and send a message that discrimination isn’t tolerated here. When intervention becomes the norm, not the exception, the impact is far-reaching:
- We increase safety and inclusion, helping people to feel safe knowing others will step in.
- The trust in our community gets stronger, knowing we all share the responsibility to look out for one another.
- More people get support they need, exactly when they need it. We can help to prevent incidents from escalating through effective intervention.
- We feel empowered and confident to use our voice to stand up to unacceptable behaviours.
What's next?
- Attend an Active Bystander Training session - you'll be encouraged by UCL and your department to sign up. The programme consists of two parts – an online module available via our website and a live workshop that is organised in collaboration with UCL's departments. Students must take part in both components to complete the training and gain their certificate.
- Departments typically book workshops for their students to attend, but we also run occasional workshops through the Students' Union's What's On calendar. Here, students can individually sign up to a workshop.
- Clubs and societies are also encouraged to book live workshops for their committee and members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange this.