Event Safety and Bystander Training: Lessons from the Peter Mullan Assault Case

When a Good Samaritan Is Attacked: Why Students Volunteering at Events Need Practical Safety Skills Now

It’s a common scenario: you’re volunteering at a concert, a person nearby looks distressed, and you want to help. But how do you step in without escalating danger to yourself or others? The Peter Mullan assault case—reported in early 2026 after the September incident outside Glasgow’s O2 Academy—puts this painful dilemma into sharp relief. According to BBC reporting from Glasgow Sheriff Court, actor Peter Mullan tried to stop a woman from being assaulted and was himself headbutted, sustaining a head wound; the attacker, Dylan Bennet, was jailed for 18 months. The incident shows how quickly bystander intervention can turn dangerous and why event safety training and professional security careers matter for every venue and volunteer.

The Evolution of Event Safety: What Changed by 2026

Event safety in 2026 blends classical crowd-management techniques with new technology and trauma-informed human skills. Since late 2024 and accelerated through 2025, venues have increasingly adopted:

• AI-assisted CCTV analytics to detect aggressive clusters and early signs of fights.
• Wearable panic devices and staff apps for real-time location and status updates.
• VR and scenario-based training for de-escalation and situational awareness.
• Mandatory bystander intervention modules for volunteers at many festivals and university events.

These tools help, but they don’t replace trained staff. The Mullan case is a reminder: volunteers and attendees may intervene instinctively; venues must train everyone—staff, contractors and volunteers—on safe intervention frameworks.

What the Court Case Teaches Us About Risk and Response

From the reporting on the Peter Mullan incident, three clear lessons emerge that every event organizer and volunteer should internalize:

1. Intervention can escalate risk: Even well-intentioned actions may provoke violence. The attacker reportedly headbutted Mullan and brandished a bottle—escalation can be immediate.
2. Presence of professional security matters: Trained security personnel are equipped to choose the least risky intervention and coordinate police response.
3. Evidence and reporting win cases: Clear witness statements, CCTV footage, and prompt reporting help secure justice and protect victims—this was central to the legal outcome in Glasgow.

Quick takeaway

If you are a volunteer: your priority is safety first—yours, then victim assistance. Know when to step back and bring in trained security or police.

Core Skills for Volunteers: What to Learn Before Your First Shift

Students and newcomers should master a concise set of skills to be effective and safe. Here’s a practical checklist you can complete in one day of training.

• Situational awareness: Learn to scan crowds for heatspots—clusters of raised voices, sudden stillness, bottle-throwing, or someone being surrounded.
• 3Ds of bystander intervention: Direct (safely speak to the parties), Distract (create a diversion), Delegate (alert staff/security/police). Practice these in role-play.
• How to call for help: Know radio channels, emergency numbers, and the venue’s escalation protocol.
• Basic first aid: Bandage common cuts, recognize concussion signs, and how to keep a bleeding head wound controlled until medics arrive.
• Evidence preservation: How to record incident times, locations, witness names, and preserve CCTV or phone footage without interfering with investigations.
• Trauma-informed approach: Use calm language, avoid judgmental questions, and understand consent for sharing the victim’s details with authorities.

De-Escalation Techniques Volunteers Can Use Safely

Direct physical intervention is risky and generally not recommended. Below are low-risk, high-impact techniques you can use immediately.

• Non-confrontational verbal cues: Use a calm, authoritative tone. Example: “Hey, is everyone OK here? We’ve got staff/security on their way.”
• Distract with context: Ask a neutral question—“Is that your friend?”—or point out a safety hazard to interrupt aggression.
• Delegate quickly: If you see escalating behavior, call security over the radio and relay exact location and a brief description.
• Create buffer zones: Position yourself (safely) between the victim and aggressor while backing toward a security or stewarding team.
• Use bystander networks: Coordinate with other volunteers—three or four people together are a stronger, safer presence than one person alone. Consider pairing inexperienced volunteers with a mentor or senior steward to increase safety and learning (see mentorship examples).

Event Security Careers: Where Volunteers Can Grow

If you enjoy safety work while volunteering, consider a career in event security. Roles and typical progression in 2026 include:

• Steward/Usher (Entry) – Crowd guidance, basic checks, first aid awareness. Ideal for students and volunteers.
• Security Operative / Door Supervisor – Licensed roles that handle access control, patrols, and immediate incidents. In the UK this often requires an SIA licence; other markets have equivalent certifications.
• Supervisor / Team Leader – Lead stewards, manage radio comms, coordinate response with police and medics.
• Crowd Safety Manager – Risk assessments, staffing ratios, evacuation plans. Requires experience and training in crowd science.
• Safety Director / Venue Operations – Strategic planning, vendor contracts (CCTV, medics), legal compliance.

Key skills that employers value in 2026: conflict de-escalation, knowledge of AI safety tools (for CCTV analytics), incident reporting software, medical first response, and strong people skills.

What Venues and Staff Should Implement Right Now

Venues bear legal and ethical responsibility for patron safety. Here’s an actionable training and policy plan any venue can implement in 4–8 weeks.

Week 1–2: Risk and Baseline

• Conduct a recent incident audit and CCTV review.
• Map hot zones: entry points, bars, narrow corridors, steep stairways.
• Set minimum steward-to-attendee ratios dependent on event type (concerts, sports, festivals).

Week 3–4: Staff Training

• Mandatory bystander intervention module for all front-line staff and volunteers (3–4 hours).
• First-aid and concussion recognition refresher for key roles.
• Radio discipline and escalation protocol practice using real-scenario drills.

Week 5–6: Tech and Coordination

• Integrate CCTV with analytics alerts and assign an operator to monitor live feeds.
• Deploy wearable panic devices for roving staff and security supervisors.
• Set clear evidence-preservation procedures for footage and witness statements.

Week 7–8+: Continuous Improvement

• Run after-action reviews after each event. Update protocols based on lessons learned.
• Offer stipends for experienced volunteers to return as paid stewards or security trainees.

Incident Response Flow: A Simple, Memorized Sequence

Memorize this five-step flow for any suspicious or violent incident—ideal for volunteers and new security staff.

1. Assess: Is anyone immediately in danger? From a safe distance, determine if the aggressor is armed or violent.
2. Call: Alert security with exact location and basic description. If immediate danger, call police/EMS.
3. Contain: Guide bystanders away; create a buffer zone if safe to do so.
4. Support: Provide first aid and emotional support to victims once scene is secure.
5. Report: Record the incident with time stamps, witness contacts, and preserve CCTV/phone evidence.

Legal and Ethical Considerations: Know the Boundaries

Volunteers should know venue policies and local laws about intervening. Key legal points to remember:

• Use of force by staff is regulated—understand what your role is allowed to do and carry no equipment you aren't trained for.
• Consent and privacy: gather witness details but avoid sharing a victim’s identity without permission. Stay aware of local privacy and CCTV guidance.
• Reporting obligations: some venues and jurisdictions require flagging certain incidents to authorities immediately.

Training Curricula: What to Include for Effective Bystander Programs

A best-practice training for volunteers combines short theory modules with repeated scenario practice. Include:

• Quick legal primer (20 minutes)
• De-escalation communications (45 minutes)
• Practical role-play: 4 scenarios, 20 minutes each (intoxicated patron, sexual harassment, isolated assault, crowd crush)
• First aid & concussion signs (60 minutes)
• Radio & reporting drills (30 minutes)
• Post-incident support and witness statement writing (30 minutes)

Advanced Strategies: What the Best Venues Are Doing in 2026

By early 2026, leaders in the events industry are layering innovations on top of human training:

• VR scenario training: Immersive rehearsals for high-stress interventions without real-world risk. Pair this with realistic audio and crowd-sound work informed by micro-event audio blueprints.
• AI pattern detection: Systems that flag hostile body language and vocal stress patterns in real time.
• Cross-agency coordination: Pre-event meetings with local police, health services and transport authorities.
• Neurodiversity inclusion: Crowd management strategies designed for events with neurodiverse attendees to reduce misinterpretation and conflict. See inclusion best practices in college policy case studies.

These aren’t just tech toys. When combined with trained staff, they materially reduce incident escalation and improve evidence capture for prosecutions—the type of outcome seen in the Mullan court case.

Case Study: Applying Lessons from the Mullan Incident at a Student-Run Concert

Imagine a university planning a 1,500-person concert. Here’s how to apply the lessons practically:

1. Pre-event: Mandatory training for 100 student volunteers on the 3Ds, radio use, and first aid. Identify lead stewards with SIA-equivalent certification if available.
2. During event: Station two senior stewards by the venue exits, assign roving pairs to the main floor, and give each pair a wearable panic button.
3. Incident (hypothetical): A woman is crying and surrounded. A volunteer uses the distract method, calls security via radio, and the security team creates a buffer. CCTV timestamps the episode and volunteers record witness names. Police arrive and take statements quickly—evidence preserved.
4. After event: Run a hotwash within 24 hours, update protocols, and offer counselling resources to the affected attendees and staff.

Practical Tools and Templates You Can Use

Below are ready-to-use items for volunteers and small venues.

Volunteer quick card (pocket-sized)

• Assess • Call • Contain • Support • Report
• Radio channel: ____ • Medical: ____ • Police: 999/112
• Signs of concussion: confusion, nausea, severe headache, loss of consciousness

Incident report template (one-paragraph extraction)

• Time & Location • Description of parties • What happened • Action taken • Witness names & contact • CCTV reference

What You Can Do Next: For Students, Volunteers, and Venue Leaders

If you’re volunteering or organizing events this semester, take these immediate steps:

• Book a four-hour bystander intervention and first-aid training session for all volunteers.
• Run a tabletop incident simulation with your security and local police liaison.
• Introduce a volunteer mentor system so inexperienced people pair with a trained steward (see practical mentorship examples in creator mentorship pieces).
• Ensure every event has at least one recorded escalation channel and accessible first-aid kit.

“The quickest way to make events safer is not just better tech—it's better-trained people.”

Final Thoughts: Turning a High-Profile Assault into Systemic Improvement

The Peter Mullan case is tragic, but its public profile gives the events sector an opportunity: to recalibrate how we train bystanders, equip security staff, and design venues that reduce both the likelihood and consequences of assaults. For volunteers—especially students—this is a chance to gain meaningful, employable skills and to protect your communities. For venue managers, it’s a reminder that policy, training, tech, and compassion must be integrated.

Actionable Takeaway Checklist

• Complete a bystander intervention module before your next shift.
• Memorize the five-step incident flow: Assess • Call • Contain • Support • Report.
• Always carry a radio number for venue security and a pen for witness notes.
• If you see abuse, delegate to a trained security professional rather than using force.
• Push your venue to adopt evidence-preservation and post-incident review protocols.

Call to Action

If you’re a student or volunteer: sign up for a local bystander intervention and first-aid course this month. If you manage a venue: schedule a tabletop exercise with security and local police, and pilot wearable panic devices at your next event. Want templates, sample training slides, or a starter incident-report form tailored for student events? Contact us at JobsNewsHub for practical resources and training referrals to help you turn lessons from the Mullan case into safer events.

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