Green Dot In Fairbanks
Green Dot is a pre-emptive violence prevention program in our community. The Green Dot model recognizes community-level violence as a series of choices to do harm (a red dot) which can be prevented when someone makes the decision to intervene or support violence prevention(a green dot). When a community has more green dots than red dots, the rate of community-violence shoots down.
One way to begin preventing violence right now is with a Reactive Green Dot, choosing one of the 3 Ds. See more down below:
One method of intervening when you are concerned there is violence or potential for violence is distracting the parties involved. This can take everyone out of the situation for a second, giving the perpetrator a second to calm down and rethink the situation (and making them aware that they are being watched) or give some time for the victim to remove themselves safely from the situation.
Some ways you can distract are:
-Yelling or making a loud sound
-Spilling a glass of liquid or dropping an object
-Falling over or knocking something over
-Asking one of the parties for help or to discuss a matter elsewhere
-Reminding the victim that they are late to an appointment elsewhere
Another interventionary method is delegation which can be useful when you want to intervene while also maintaining your safety (and distance). Delegation can make other parties aware that they need to intervene in violence who are trained to safely respond or have a connection with the involved parties.
Some people you can delegate are:
-Police, Fire, or EMS
-Security guards
- Victim advocates
-Relatives/Friends of the involved parties
-Campus officials, such as RAs or CSOs
If you are concerned about violence and want to intervene as quickly or effectively as possible, you can direct the parties involved. Direction involves being clear, assertive, purposeful, and safe. If you are going to direct, ensure that the proper response can be taken after you have directed the parties.
Some ways you can direct to prevent violence are:
-Telling the aggressor "stop", "no", "cut it out"
-Physically place yourself between the involved parties
-Asking the parties "are you okay?", "what is going on?"
-Reminding the parties that you can -and will- dial 911
Remember: if you choose to direct, do so safely. Do not put yourself in harms way unnecessarily. If you think directing could harm you, opt for delegation or distraction