Our goal is to inspire students to have the #CouragetoCare and demonstrate care through action.

What Does It Mean?

Having the #CouragetoCare means having the courage to take action. The action can be BIG—cutting off a friend off when they have had too many drinks, or it can be small—holding the door for a fellow Hoosier.

Why?

  • College is fun, yet often difficult – especially in situations involving mental health, sexual well-being, drugs, alcohol, and respect.
  • Everyone assumes "someone" will do "something", but research tells us this is not true. In fact, most of the time no one does anything. This is called the Bystander Effect.
  • 66% of Hoosiers think that if “someone” had intervened in a difficult situation, a negative outcome could have been avoided.
  • Most problems just don’t go away. Looking the other way can be a deadly mistake.

A screen shot of a text message conversation which demonstrates the bystander effect.

Challenge The Bystander Effect

The Bystander Effect is a “social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present.” Many colleges and universities see the importance of developing bystander intervention programs to teach college students ways to help in problematic situations.

According to the Center for Disease Control, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among adolescents ages 15 to 24. Homicide and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death among this age group. A majority of these deaths and related injuries are preventable. Teaching students to be aware of their situations and the skills to intervene is one way to help prevent death and/or injury.

Take action and band together to raise awareness, educate one another, and challenge the Bystander Effect. We aim to create a culture where Hoosiers step up and where someone, if not everyone, is there to help.

  • You are at a party and you notice a fellow partier has had too much to drink. Don’t be a bystander and assume someone will take care of them. Be a Hoosier. Take action.
  • You are in a hurry, late for class and moving fast through the Arboretum when you see another student fall off a bike. Don’t be a bystander and assume someone will help them. Have the #CouragetoCare. Take action.

We can beat the Bystander Effect and avoid unfortunate outcomes.