ABC Campaign

ABC Campaign - Call it out

Challenge inappropriate behaviour and feel empowered to recognise it and call it out.

Consuming alcohol can directly impact how we feel and act and can have a wide range of adverse effects on us.

Calling out antisocial and unacceptable behaviours can be challenging. For example you may feel concerned for your safety or worry how someone’s actions may escalate.

It’s on all of us to call out bad behaviour. Remember, only directly intervene in a situation if it is safe to do so, and approach it calmly and respectfully to avoid escalating a situation. If the situation is an emergency and there is immediate threat to someone’s health or safety, call the emergency services on 999. 

If the situation is unsafe to intervene and call it out directly, then speak to the host, venue staff etc.

Please see the following blog from Police Scotland on what to be mindful of during events / underage drinking:

Remember, you are not alone. If you’ve experienced any kind of violence, abuse, bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct or discrimination, you can receive support from the following services:

 

Guest blog: The ABC campaign invites everyone, especially men in our community, to lead by example and model respect. 

Debbie Sangster, Managing Director at The Compass Centre, shares how we can encourage everyone in our community to take action, call out harmful behaviour and prevent violence before it happens.

As we mark International Women’s Day 2026 (Sunday 8 March), it’s a chance to reflect on what this day means for women and girls and how, through initiatives like the ABC campaign, we can encourage everyone in our community to take action, call out harmful behaviour and prevent violence before it happens.

Here in Shetland, we take pride in looking out for one another. This sense of community is one of our greatest strengths, especially during much-loved events like Up Helly Aa. But living in a small community also brings challenges when it comes to speaking up about harm.

At The Compass Centre, we support people who have experienced sexual violence, and we see the lasting impact it has. We also know that prevention is possible. To stop violence from happening we need to recognise both the immediate risk factors and the underlying culture that normalises harassment and dismisses harmful behaviours as “just a bit of fun”.

Alcohol can lower inhibitions and affect judgement, but it does not cause sexual violence. Sexual harassment, coercion and assault are always a choice, and there must be zero tolerance for this within our community, including on nights out and at Up Helly Aa events. This starts with all of us and being aware of how our own behaviour impacts others.  

The ABC campaign invites everyone, especially men in our community, to lead by example and model respect. Together we can send a clear message that sexual violence has no place here in Shetland. We can all help to create a safer community by:

  • Encouraging everyone to enjoy themselves safely and look out for each other
  • Speaking up and stepping in when something isn’t right
  • Being clear that consent is non-negotiable and that we all, particularly men, need to challenge harmful behaviours among peers

If you’ve experienced sexual violence at any point in your life and need support, The Compass Centre is here for you.

We believe you and we’ll listen to you with compassion and without judgement.

You can call us on 01595 747 174, Monday-Thursday 9am – 1.30pm, or email us on contact@compasscentre.org

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Guest blog: Lets all work together to ensure we all have a safe and enjoyable fire festival season

Robert Geddes, Secretary, Lerwick Up Helly Aa Committee, shares how the committee have taken steps to increase awareness of the ABC campaign.

The ABC campaign is about connection. Across Shetland this winter, groups are coming together in pubs and social venues to talk, laugh and spend time with one another. These informal gatherings play an important role in tackling isolation, strengthening friendships and supporting mental wellbeing – particularly during the darker months. Fire festival season unites multi-generational groups, and it takes all these people to produce the spectacle that attracts thousands of locals to participate and visitors to travel to the Islands from all over the world.

The festivals spill over from the main event venues into local restaurants, bars and nightclubs as partygoers’ fun often spans multiple days at the time of the festivities.

The organising committee of the largest Up Helly Aa festival have actively supported the ABC campaign and have been working with all the agencies involved to promote a safer festival that everyone can be proud of and feel safe attending.  A key part of ABC is encouraging people to look out for one another. That includes knowing where to find local support, stepping in early if a situation doesn’t feel right, and understanding what you can do to help. Being aware, calm and respectful can prevent incidents from escalating and ensure everyone gets home safely.

The committee have taken steps to increase awareness of the campaign by issuing information to squad members and Host and Hostesses of the venues to educate and raise awareness to encourage participants to take action, be respectful to everyone and to not ignore or accept inappropriate behaviours.  

Small actions, taken together, help build safer nights out and stronger communities. Three cheers for…. a safe, enjoyable fire festival season.

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Guest blog: Calling out behaviour doesn’t require aggression or escalation.

Chris Sewell, Chief Inspector and Area Commander for Shetland, discusses how every one of us has a role to play - whether at work, in social settings, or online - in challenging behaviour that crosses the line.

Violence against women and girls does not start with a serious assault. It starts much earlier - with attitudes, language and behaviours that are dismissed as “banter”, minimised, or simply ignored.

The “That Guy” campaign which Police Scotland leads on, ties in with our local ABC initiative. It is about recognising those moments and having the courage to call them out. Inappropriate comments, controlling behaviour, sexual harassment or dismissive attitudes towards women are not harmless. They create an environment where abuse is normalised and where more serious offending can take place

Too often, people recognise the behaviour but stay silent - because it feels awkward, because they don’t want confrontation, or because they assume someone else will deal with it. Silence, however, is part of the problem. Calling out behaviour doesn’t require aggression or escalation. It can be as simple as saying, “That’s not okay,” or “That’s not how we speak about women.” These small interventions matter.

Research and experience tell us that people are far less likely to continue harmful behaviour when it is challenged early by peers - particularly by other men. Living and working in Shetland, we know the strength of small communities. We look out for one another, and we take pride in keeping people safe. That responsibility doesn’t stop at responding to crime after it happens. It includes preventing harm before it occurs by setting clear standards of behaviour and holding one another to account. As Area Commander, I want to be clear: violence against women and girls is not inevitable, and it is not acceptable.

Every one of us has a role to play - whether at work, in social settings, or online - in challenging behaviour that crosses the line.

If you see “that guy”, be the person who speaks up and calls him out.

Because change doesn’t start with the police alone. It starts with all of us.