EXCELLENCE & ETHICS

In the wake of the disturbing case unfolding at Penn State University many are wondering how to understand and teach about the all important moral skill of intervening.  At IEE we develop research-based tools that distill complex theory and research behind a given skill or competency into replicable rubrics for guiding behavior.

IEE’s Culture of Excellence & Ethics Intervention Continuum is a tool we have used to take the complex process of intervention and break into a framework for guiding behavior
(email for a digital copy to reprint yourself or to obtain information on purchasing a poster).

This tool builds on important research like that of Oliner & Oliner who studied the makeup of altruistic personalities to understand the knowledge, affect, and skills of those who intervene (as compared to bystanders, or those who literally “stand by”).

The Intervention Continuum begins with the assertion that there are no innocent bystanders:  you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. It’s a powerful touchstone phrase that clearly conveys a norm or expectation.  If we don’t teach this norm (or equal) with intentionality and clarity, then we shouldn’t be surprised when individuals choose another standard to guide their behavior.  Intentionally teaching the idea “there are no innocent bystanders” introduces cognitive disequilibrium (i.e., “wait a minute; that’s not I heard or thought or have experienced”), which begins to break apart the “ignorance is bliss” mindset by introducing a new norm or standard for behavior.

The skill of intervening is built upon an interconnected synergy of values. In particular the tool highlights the role of courage, responsibility, and good judgment in standing up for what you know is right. The Intervention Continuum shows that intervening requires discernment across a continuum of possible options, which requires prudence, or good judgment.  The tool teaches that seeking help from others and intervening yourself are both alternatives to “doing nothing”.  Essentially what the term “intervention” is addressing is responsibility.  Being responsible literally means “the ability to respond,” the ability to intervene when called upon, to stand up for what is right, and to correct what is wrong. Responsibility says, “do help”, “do step up”, “do step in”—even when helping carries a cost.  The Intervention Continuum challenges us to find a way to intervene on behalf of people or principles.

This tool reinforces our operational definition of character as “values in action.”   Our character (in Greek, our “distinguishing mark”) is the degree to which we have alignment between our espoused values and our lived behaviors.  Just because I know or value justice, mercy, and truth does not make me a person of character necessarily. It’s when I know, commit, AND live according to my values that I may be properly considered a person of moral character.

How does our character become strong and stable?  One way of understanding our character is to think of it as a muscle. Like any muscle, it gets stronger when we work it out; it gets weaker and atrophies when we neglect it. And, like any muscle, injuries ensue when the weight or force applied to the muscle exceeds the capacity of the muscle.

Like any muscle, our character muscle also develops muscle memory.  When you try a new physical skill, it feels awkward; it’s not easy or natural. It’s not until you practice the skill repeatedly that a comfortable, stable habit begins to develop. Then when faced with a pressure situation requiring the skill, having practiced this skill many times, muscle memory overrides all of the fear, jitters, worries, and instinct takes over. True for any physical muscle; true also for our character muscles. Confidence in our “ability to respond”—in our “response-ability”—is developed by deliberate practice, not simply by luck or innate ability.

So, these are the basics of the skill of intervening as presented by the Intervention Continuum. What does it take to make this standard a lived reality? How can we use the Intervention Continuum strategy to ensure more consistent ethical behavior?  First, it must be taught with intentionality and intensity. We simply cannot leave it to chance that individuals will naturally develop this skill. We must intentionally teach it. This skill/norm/behavior/expectation must also be practiced with intensity.  It’s a very challenging skill to master. Therefore it must be deliberately practiced, repeatedly, over time and in diverse and varied settings and situations. True for anything we want to get good at, right? So too with intervening:  the more difficult the challenge the more intense and intentional the practice required.

We need these simple strategies, these replicable tools (what the brain research calls “good enough” rubrics) to guide our behaviors—especially in the most high pressure of situations.  Without replicable rubrics and rituals like the Intervention Continuum to guide behavior, both the burden of knowledge and the vacuum of ignorance will render us incapable of responding.  Just like in sports, you need to have practiced a skill many times before your habits will be available to guide you through high pressure situations. As Aristotle said, “we are what we repeatedly do.”

Come full circle to the specific context of the Penn State scandal.  We need to objectify these situations. We need to rewind the tape, hit play; hit pause; teach and re-teach, like a coach reviewing a game tape. We often don’t teach about our great societal and community moral collapses because we’re afraid it will get ugly, that we’ll get distracted, divided, and lose sight of our purpose in discussing it, and ultimately do more harm than good. This is a tool that can take an ugly situation that most don’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole and objectify it, using the situation as a teaching experience without dwelling on the disgusting details. The tool allows us to focus instead on what we can learn and DO DIFFERENTLY given a similar situation that we might face.

The Intervention Continuum tool is meant to be simple; mastering it is not easy. This means we can teach empathy for the victims as well as those who failed to adequately intervene. They blew it, but it could happen to any one of us if we’re not prepared. We can show on the continuum what they did do, and really teach about how different situations call for different responses.  Remember that Joe Paterno was fired not because he didn’t do anything, but because what he did was not enough given the seriousness of crimes—which is also true of many individuals engrossed in this situation.

Here are four additional ways to practically introduce and develop the skill of intervening represented by the Intervention Continuum:

1. Post it in your home, classroom, locker room or workplace and introduce its basic
   elements. Reinforce and expand knowledge by scaffolding to it from emerging
   teachable moments.
2. Brainstorm a variety of practical ways to intervene with courage, responsibility, and good judgment for some of the most common situations that you will face.
3. Identify positive examples (or negative counter-examples) drawn from literature and
   media to show what it looks like to intervene well (and what it looks like when
   you don’t) and discuss the short- and long-term consequences.
4. Reflect as a group on how you will support, challenge, motivate and empower one another to intervene as needed (e.g., accountability partners, small support groups,
   etc.).

The Intervention Continuum in no way guarantees that we can eradicate moral collapses like we observed at Penn State—or like we have observed in corporate and political scandals, school violence, or human atrocities throughout history. However if we can use this tool to teach and re-teach issues great and small, if we can use this to improve our knowledge, commitment and skills—our head, heart, and hands—, if we do it often enough and well enough, then just maybe when we find ourselves in a significant situation where intervening is truly required of us, maybe we are prepared to respond—to step in, to speak out, to stand up, to do something.