Xiaohongshu
Empower your institution with Active Bystander Training
We offer comprehensive packages tailored to your institution's needs.
The Active Bystander Programme is a core element of UCL students’ induction that aims to empower them to recognise and challenge unacceptable behaviours including bullying, harassment, discrimination, hate crime, hate incidents, microaggressions and sexual misconduct, on campus and beyond. The programme provides students with the tools to safely intervene if they witness or experience any of these unacceptable behaviours.
Since its launch, the programme has trained over 65,000 students and has grown to be the largest programme of its kind in UK Universities, leading the sector through its peer-to-peer delivery model.
In 2022, we started offering tailor-made packages to external institutions. These packages are designed to meet the specific needs of your students, and can include access to our online module as well as an optional Train-the-Trainer Training programme. Our training programme package comes with a license to deliver our workshop content, enabling your team to facilitate sessions across your institution without the need to develop your own student training.
Our highly successful student training exceeds the expectations of Condition E6, set out in the Office for Students’ regulations. It is not a tick-box exercise, but a pedagogically grounded intervention designed to foster cultural change and cultivate respectful, inclusive and supportive communities. By embedding our programme, institutions can meet regulatory expectations in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.
Our Packages
- Online Module Package
A Comprehensive Online Module:
- which students can access remotely, at their own pace.
- designed to raise awareness and build confidence in challenging unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour.
- includes accessible and varied interactive elements to maintain engagement.
- customisable with your institution's branding, specific signposting and semantics.Key Topics:
- what it means to be an Active Bystander.
- how to recognise inappropriate behaviour.
- understanding and addressing:
- Bullying
- Harassment, discrimination, and microaggressions.
- Hate crimes and hate incidents.
- Sexual misconduct and consent.
- practical steps: What to do once unacceptable behaviour is recognised.
- guidance on what comes next after completing the module.Delivery and Licensing:
- suitable for any Learning Management System (LMS).
- includes a 3-year license to use Students' Union UCL's Active Bystander module content.- Live Workshop: Train the Trainer Package
Format and Delivery:
- two full days of in-person, bespoke training.
- designed for up to 10 selected Workshop Leaders from your institution.
- delivered by experienced facilitators to ensure high-quality, interactive learning.Training Content:
- core themes around Equity, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EEDI).
- skills for facilitation and managing challenging conversations.
- guidance on receiving disclosures and creating safe learning environments.
- includes minor content customisation (e.g. branding, institutional signposting, scenario tweaks).Included Resources:
- a printed bespoke trainer manual for each participant.
- access to our live workshop slide deck for use in your institution.
- termly catch-ups as part of our ongoing Community of Practice.Licensing Terms:
- includes a 1-year license to use our general Active Bystander live workshop content (renewal available).
- license includes minor content edits (e.g. branding, institutional signposting, scenario adjustments).
- only trained Workshop Leaders may deliver the content within your institution.Benefits of our Training Package:
Empowered facilitators: Facilitators will receive personalised support in small groups, helping them feel confident, capable, and ready to facilitate.
High-impact delivery: Our tailored guidance will empower you to have engaging, effective workshops that resonate with your students.
Improved learner outcomes: Participants leave with practical tools and a deeper understanding of how to facilitate and run effective workshops.
Scalable and sustainable: Our packages are flexible for growth in capacity and delivery, enabling your organisation to embed a culture of active bystanders for years to come.
Evidence-informed design: The training programme and content is grounded in a decade of pedagogical exploration and best practices, ensuring it is engaging, relevant, and effective.- Bespoke Options
Bespoke Scenarios:
These scenarios will be based on specific issues or key themes that might have arisen at your institution, with specific reference to places on campus/locally that students would know.Focus Group with your Students for Bespoke Scenarios:
A one-hour focus group with up to 10 students from your institution, facilitated by Students’ Union UCL to provide insight into key issues that they are facing on your campus.Fully Bespoke Content:
If your institution is interested in bespoke content for an Online Module or Live Workshop such as Consent & Tackling Sexual Violence, Allyship, Bullying & Harassment etc, please contact us for further discussion.
About the Programme at Students' Union UCL
- What does the programme look like at Students' Union UCL?
1. Complete the online module
This is an interactive, self-led module that introduces students to the definitions of common unacceptable behaviours, and the fundamental concepts of Active Bystander intervention. It takes students 30-45 minutes to complete.
2. Attend a live workshop
The live workshop builds on the knowledge gained from the online module through practical examples, scenarios and peer discussions. Students will learn how to safely intervene and gain practical skills. The workshop is 90 minutes long and is peer-facilitated by our trained student staff (Workshop Leaders).3. Become an Active Bystander
Students receive a certificate after completing their Active Bystander training and feedback forms, joining thousands of students across campus helping keep our community safe.In 2025-2026, the Active Bystander programme trained over 20,000 students across UCL. This is the biggest engagement the programme has seen, with our team of 30+ student workshop leaders delivering more sessions than ever before to undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students.
- Online Module Success at Students' Union UCL
Our 2025-6 quantitative and qualitative analysis of our online module showed that:
- 95% of students agreed they understand what constitutes bullying, harassment, and discrimination (N = 11730/12305)
- 84% of students agreed that the online module was useful (N = 10352/12305)Students said:
- “I found the '5 Ds' strategy to intervening harassment very useful. I always worry if I will be punished or retaliated for stepping in when witnessing harassment, but this online module taught me ways to ensure my own safety while being an active bystander at the same time.”
- “I think the scenarios helped put into perspective how much more subtle and commonplace different situations can be in day to day life. Its not necessarily as black and white as people are expecting and the situations really helped to illustrate that."- “I genuinely appreciated that the university is taking these issues seriously and creating space for us to reflect on safety, respect, and responsibility within the community. It made me feel supported and valued.”
- Live Workshop Success at Students' Union UCL
Our 2025-2026 quantitative and qualitative analysis of our live workshops showed that:
- 87% of students agreed that the in person live workshop was useful (N = 8439/9687)
- 89% of students agreed that they feel more prepared to intervene after attending the in person live workshop (N = 8660/9687)
- Student workshop leaders were rated highly by 95% of students (N = 9187/9687)Students said:
- "The overall exposure to these sensitive topics felt like a must needed session. It made an impact on our thinking and changed some of my ways to act against some of these things."
- "I loved that it was very interactive and it was great to hear other people's thoughts about the material covered. I also thought the workshop leader did a great job of making it feel like a very safe space where it was okay to make mistakes and really felt like a place to learn and grow."
- "I found the real-life examples particularly useful, as they helped me understand how the active bystander approach can be applied in everyday situations. I also appreciated the opportunity to reflect on personal responsibility and how small actions can contribute to creating a more respectful and inclusive environment."