Quick Guides & Toolkits > Tips & Tools

Situational Awareness & Upstander Intervention

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Graphic of an urgent stickman. The words around them read "Situational Awareness and Being an Upstander Part 1. Situational Awareness: What? Why"

What is situational awareness?

Practicing situational awareness involves using all your senses and your body to assess your surroundings for potential threats and to develop a plan of action to keep yourself and others safe. These survival skills enable anyone to assess and navigate their environment. It involves understanding both internal and external factors and how to respond to threatening situations effectively.

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Survival Responses & Tools

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An Overview

Reflect on your go-to response when facing escalating scenarios.

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Infographic explaining the window of tolerance, showing three zones: hyper-arousal (fight or flight), comfort zone, and hypo-arousal (freeze or fawn), with related emotions and behaviors listed for each.
Window of Tolerance

understanding how you recognize & respond to your surroundings

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A diagram shows the comfort zone between hyper-arousal (fight or flight) and hypo-arousal (freeze or fawn), explaining activation points and anchor points for self-awareness and safety. Text and simple icons illustrate concepts.
Activations & Anchors 

how, when, & why you move through your window of tolerance

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Anchoring Yourself

What makes you feel grounded, safe, comfortable, or grounds you back into your Window of Tolerance?

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A community Care Tool

Holistic Check-In

Developed by Across Frontlines for human rights defenders, community safety teams, and frontline activists to employ when providing care after an action.

It’s one way to support someone to self regulate based on consent, community care and honoring their agency & autonomy.

Find Out More
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Physically?
A simple icon of a person holding a heart over their chest, with six leaves arranged symmetrically around them, all in dark blue on a white background.
Energetically
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Emotionally?
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Support needed?

OODA Loop

Graphic of a stick figure standing in the middle of a looped arrow. The graphics says: "Situational Awareness and Being an Upstander. Part 5. OODA Loop."
The OODA Loop:

sift through information and events

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A diagram titled the OODA loop shows four steps in a cycle—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—with icons and brief explanations of each step, providing a process for responding to situations.
The OODA Loop:

responding to conflict when we are outside of our comfort zone

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A man with dark hair and a beard is speaking, holding up two fingers. Behind him are a white hard hat, some tools, and a poster. Text on the image reads, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO EXIT..
For example:

identifying two exit routes

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De-Escalation Tips

A handout titled CLARA: A de-escalation tool explains steps for navigating verbal conflict: Check In, Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add. It includes brief descriptions for each step and a small logo in the upper right corner.
CLARA

A de-escalation tool for navigating verbal conflict & identifying needs.

PDF

Find de-escalation trainers & trainings near you

Equip yourself with the de-escalation and community safety skills to navigate conflict

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