The correct example of a “distract” method of bystander intervention is: pretending to know the person being harassed and greeting them warmly.

What “distract” means

  • The distract method is about safely interrupting or redirecting attention away from the harmful situation without direct confrontation.
  • Common distractions include asking for directions or the time, dropping something, or starting a casual conversation to break the harasser’s focus.

Why pretending to know them fits

  • Walking up and acting like you know the target (“Hey! Long time no see, how are you?”) changes the social dynamic and gives them a chance to move away.
  • This is widely used as a textbook example of the distract strategy in bystander intervention trainings and explanations.

Why the other options are not “distract”

  • Asking someone with more authority (like a supervisor or security) is usually called delegate , not distract.
  • Calmly telling the person, “This behavior is not acceptable. Please stop,” is a direct intervention, not a distraction.

Answer: Pretend to know the person being harassed and greet them warmly.