Allyship versus Active Bystander – what does it mean?
While Allyship is the progressive work of awareness, listening, and everyday decisions on when to speak up or act to support others whose voices otherwise may not be heard, the term Active Bystander refers to the differing options they feel when faced with the individual decision of whether to act, and if so, how.
We fall into the Bystander trap of assuming someone else who is more equipped to handle the situation will step up, and that our intervention will not be needed/appreciated, and thus the benefit to others from becoming involved is not worth the potential risks to ourselves.