An Edmonton woman is challenging others to step in rather than step out when it comes to fighting violence in the city.

Karina Murray was attacked last year just outside her apartment in Garneau.

“He attacked me from behind,” she explained.

“One minute I was standing the next minute I was on all fours and only by the grace of God did I get inside.”

After the news story she said many were questioning what she had done wrong and that response moved her to rethink personal safety.

“Really got to think to myself ‘Why is this all about me? Why is this all about me? How can the sole responsibility be on my shoulders?’.”

She launched Be That Person, a campaign that encourages bystanders to get involved in preventing violent crimes.

“You’re basically asking the community to step up, get involved and stand up to violence,” Murray explained.

“If you have that feeling that ‘Yes I have a responsibility to get involved’ then that's the first step. That's the biggest step.”

To help educate Edmontonians about bystander intervention, Murray held a workshop at Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park Saturday where she taught the five steps of intervention.

According to Murray the five steps are something she refers to as BRAVA:

  • Be that person
  • Recognize the event
  • Assess the situation
  • Validate your safest option
  • Act

“I'm actually kind of shocked that there's a big display like this,” Kim Cochrane told CTV News.

“I think people should be helping people naturally, like it's my personal belief system, but I'm glad they are making people aware of it.”

Jason LaFleur said he too thought it was an important cause.

“Most people think it's none of their business and it's everyone's business,” he said.

Murray said the program has helped her deal with what happened last summer.

“To me this campaign has been really imperative to my healing as well, because I took something that was a crappy situation, a traumatic situation and I was able to turn it into something positive and energetic and something I’m passionate about.”

 With files from Nicole Weisberg