Green Dot Safety Program
The Green Dot safety program is a bystander intervention program that gives participants the tools and resources to measurably reduce interpersonal violence in their community.
The program is based on the idea that most people will intervene or prevent an act of violence from occurring if they simply are inspired to do so and have resources they feel comfortable using.
Mission Statement
In contrast to historical approaches to violence prevention that have focused on victims and perpetrators, the Green Dot strategy is predicated on the belief that individual safety is a community responsibility and shifts the lens away from victims/perpetrators and onto bystanders. The overarching goal is to mobilize a force of engaged and proactive bystanders.
To reach this goal, we must accomplish the following objectives, we must establish two cultural norms on campus:
- Power-based personal violence will not be tolerated.
- Everyone does their part to maintain a safe campus.
What is Green Dot?
Reactive Green Dots: The choices you make in response to a situation that you think might be a high risk or might eventually lead to a red dot. For example, consider the three D's: Direct, Delegate, Distract. Sign up for our training to learn more.
Proactive Green Dots: Little things you can to make it less likely red dots will ever happen by shifting norms about getting involved. For example, signing up for your first Green Dot Bystander Training or encouraging someone you know to sign up is being a proactive Green Dot.
A red dot is a decision to inflict power-based personal violence or harm on someone else. The goal of the University of Idaho Green Dot violence prevention strategy is the permanent reduction of power-based personal violence - including (but not limited to) sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking.
Sometimes there are times where we want to get involved when a situation rises, but there are barriers that stop us. Such barriers that hold us back are personal or social. Whatever the barriers are, our training will assist our participants with realistic solutions in spite of their barriers.
Request a Green Dot Presentation
Green Dot presentations are available through the Violence Prevention Programs office at 208-885-6757 or email greendot@uidaho.edu.
We can customize presentations to fit your classroom, living group, organization or event needs. All presentations are inclusive of gender and sexual orientation.
Share Your Story
Share your bystander intervention experiences with us by emailing greendot@uidaho.edu.
Your experiences can help others who may have been or are in a similar position.