The problem is that in the moment—when a situation feels uncomfortable, someone crosses a boundary, or something just seems off—people hesitate. They wonder if they are overreacting, whether it is their place to step in, or whether someone else will handle it.

B.R.A.V.E. teaches people what to do next.
Developed by Veteran Sisters, BRAVE is an interactive, scenario-based bystander intervention training designed to help participants recognize risk, intervene early, support others who speak up, reinforce healthy group standards, and know when a situation needs to be escalated.

This is not another presentation about policies and definitions. B.R.A.V.E. is designed as training: participants discuss realistic situations, practice responding to them, and debrief what worked, what did not, and what they could do differently the next time.

What does B.R.A.V.E. mean?

B.R.A.V.E. gives participants five practical tools they can remember when a situation begins moving in the wrong direction:
B — Break the Silence: Lead by example.
R — Recognize Risk: If it feels off, it is.
A — Act or Have Their Back: Doing nothing changes nothing.
V — Value Your Standard: Set it and expect it.
E — Evaluate and Engage: When in doubt, report up.
These five skills build on one another throughout the training.
Practice, Not Just Awareness

Knowing that intervention matters is different from knowing how to intervene when the moment actually happens.
B.R.A.V.E. uses realistic scenarios and guided discussion to give participants multiple ways to respond. They practice direct intervention, distraction, delegation, and supporting the person at risk—because there is no single “perfect” response. The goal is to recognize that something is wrong and choose an action you are actually willing and able to take.

Participants also learn something equally important: having someone’s back matters.
When one person speaks up, they take a risk. When another person supports them, the dynamic begins to change. B.R.A.V.E. helps groups understand how silence, laughter, support, and intervention all communicate what behavior the group will accept.

B.R.A.V.E. Is About Culture Change
Culture is not created by a policy hanging on a wall.
It is created in small moments—by what people laugh at, what they ignore, what they challenge, and what they reinforce.

B.R.A.V.E. helps participants examine the difference between the standards a group says it has and the standards its members actually enforce. Over time, those repeated choices shape what becomes normal.
The objective is not to turn participants into investigators or expect them to handle every situation themselves.

B.R.A.V.E. also teaches participants to recognize when a situation has crossed a line and it is time to engage leadership, authorities, or other appropriate resources.
Training Built Around Your Organization

B.R.A.V.E. is not cookie-cutter training.
Whenever possible, Veteran Sisters works with the requesting organization in advance to understand its concerns, environment, and group dynamics. Those insights help us build realistic scenarios participants will recognize and remember.

Our goal is simple: Give people the confidence and practical skills to act before a troubling situation becomes something much worse.

Bring B.R.A.V.E. Training to Your Organization

Interested in bringing B.R.A.V.E. Bystander Intervention Training to your organization, unit, chapter, team, or community?

Complete the B.R.A.V.E. Training Request Form.