Institutions as bystanders: Rethinking responses to gender-based violence

When someone experiences gender-based violence (GBV), the moment of harm is only the beginning. What happens next – the conversations, the silences, the support or lack of it – can shape everything that follows. 

Dr Rachel Bertram and Dr Aimee Smith, researchers and UTS alumni, wanted to understand those moments. Not just the incident itself, but the ripple effects that follow: the social interactions, the informal responses, and the ways that people – friends, colleagues, peers – show up, or don’t, in the aftermath. 

‘We talk a lot about prevention and formal reporting. But what about the everyday responses? The ones that happen in kitchens, classrooms, group chats. Those moments matter. They can help or harm. And they’re often overlooked,’ says Dr Bertram. 

That question became the foundation of the Bystander Ally Project, a research initiative supported by a UTS Social Impact Grant and delivered in partnership with UTS Respect.Now.Always. and the NSW/ACT Universities Prevention Connection (UPC). The project explores how bystanders respond after a GBV incident – and what universities can do to better support victim-survivors in those critical moments. 

A missing piece in the GBV response puzzle 

Universities across Australia are under growing pressure to improve their responses to gender-based violence. Legislative reforms, sector-wide initiatives like Respect@Work, and the passing of the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence have created new momentum for change. 

But while institutions have strengthened formal reporting pathways and prevention strategies, Dr Bertram and her team saw a gap. 

‘There’s a lot of focus on what happens before or during an incident,’ she explains. ‘But what happens after? How do people respond when someone discloses harm? And how do those responses shape a victim-survivor’s experience of safety, justice, and recovery?’ 

The team’s research focused on tertiary bystanders – people who respond after the incident, often informally. These might be friends, colleagues, supervisors, or peers. Their actions, or inactions, can have a profound impact. 

Interactions like these are often self-directed and informal, relying heavily on personal networks rather than institutional support. That makes them harder to track, and easier to overlook. Yet they play a crucial role in shaping how safe, heard, and supported someone feels. 

Building an evidence base for change 

To explore these questions, the research team, which included Catharine Pruscino, Dr Claire Wright, and Francesca Harrison, began with a systematic literature review, mapping existing knowledge and identifying gaps. Building on this foundation, they are now conducting the first in a series of empirical studies examining the factors that shape bystander behaviours following the disclosure of an incident.

‘People don’t just respond based on what happened,’ says Dr Bertram. ‘They respond based on how serious they think it was, and what they believe the victim-survivor needs. Those judgments are social, emotional, and often unconscious.’ 

Understanding these influences enables the refinement of policy, procedure, and training, to more effectively respond to the relational complexities of gender-based violence. 

The team is preparing to run secondary studies to deepen their understanding and expand the evidence base. 

Reframing institutions as bystanders 

One of the most transformative ideas to emerge from the project is the concept of institutions as bystanders. 

‘When institutions delay support, ignore disclosures, or create environments that discourage reporting, they’re not passive,’ says Dr Bertram. ‘They’re active participants in shaping outcomes. Recognising institutions as bystanders shifts the responsibility. It’s not just about individuals – it’s about systems and leadership.’ 

This framing has resonated with community partners. Catharine Pruscino, UTS Respect. Now. Always. Program Manager, and Chair of the UPC, says the research is helping universities rethink their role. 

‘A lot of the discussion around bystanders is transactional,’ she says. ‘What this team is doing is exploring whether our current approaches are actually meaningful. It’s not enough to say, “everyone should know how to act.” The systems around them need to support that action – safely, timely, and in a trauma-informed way.’ 

This shift in thinking is already influencing policy conversations. Institutions are beginning to see themselves not just as service providers or policymakers, but as actors whose action– or lack thereof – directly affects victim-survivor outcomes. 

Challenges and opportunities 

The policy landscape around GBV is evolving rapidly, and the project leads – who were both fulltime PhD students when the research was being undertaken – had limited time and resources. 

‘We didn’t want to rush,’ says Dr Aimee Smith. ‘Rigour and ethics mattered. So, we refined our methods, expanded our design, and secured additional funding from the Transformative Consumer Research initiative to deepen the analysis.’ 

The team also faced the challenge of translating complex, emotionally charged data into actionable insights. But their commitment to centring victim-survivor experiences helped guide the process. 

Despite these challenges, the project has already sparked sector-wide conversations. Presentations to the UTS Respect.Now.Always. Steering Committee and the UPC state-based network have helped share findings and influence national discussions.

Impact and future directions 

The project’s impact goes beyond immediate benefits to victim-survivors, and those at risk in institutions who adopt this framework. It is helping shape a new understanding of accountability that recognises the role of culture, relationships, and informal interactions within institutions. 

‘We’re at a watershed moment,’ says Dr Bertram. ‘For the first time, we’re seeing conversations, funding, and structural reforms begin to align. That makes it critical to ensure the evidence base is strong – and centred on victim-survivor outcomes.’ 

The team is now planning additional studies and working with community partners to embed their findings into policy and practice. Their goal is to ensure that tertiary bystander responses are recognised, supported, and embedded within institutional systems. 

Initiative and impact 

Initiated by 2 women PhD students – Dr Rachel Bertram and Dr Aimee Smith – this project demonstrates that meaningful impact is often sparked from outside the traditional hierarchies of power. 

‘They were studying full-time, but they still found a way to lead this work,’ says Pruscino. ‘It shows what early-career researchers can do when they’re supported to make a difference.’ 

The Bystander Ally Project is helping universities move beyond compliance and towards a culture of care, accountability, and meaningful support. And for Dr Bertram, that’s the real goal. 

‘We want institutions to lead with approaches that are trauma-informed, relational, and that centre victim-survivor needs through the entire process. Because that’s how change happens – not just in policy, but in practice.’ 

Shifting the conversation, shaping the future 

Traditionally, bystanders have been framed as individuals witnessing and actively intervening during incidents. This research challenges that view, showing that institutions themselves can – and often do – function as bystanders as well. 

This reframing is now being socialised within UTS and among UPC partners. It is beginning to influence how universities talk about accountability, design training, and support staff and students in moments of harm or disclosure. 

‘One of the key lessons we’ve learned is that tackling GBV requires a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities across institutions – and that includes recognising when, and how, they function as bystanders themselves,’ says Dr Bertram.