Green Dot Bystander Intervention

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Green Dot Bystander Intervention is a bystander education approach that aims to prevent violence with the help of bystanders. It is built on the premise that violence can be measurably and systematically reduced within a community. [1] [2] Bystander intervention as a way of violence prevention programs are becoming popular within society. [3] Its mission is to reduce power-based violence by being a proactive bystander and a reactive bystander. [4] [5]

Contents

History

Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendment is a tool meant to combat campus violence. The law requires colleges and universities to fight gender-based violence, harassment, and respond to the needs of survivors promoting equal educational access. [4] [6] [7] The Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program was founded in 2006 by Dr. Dorothy Edwards. [8] [1] [2] [5] [9] The program trains people about sexual assault and domestic violence on college campuses, primary and secondary schools, and communities. It develops and offers training for sexual assault and domestic violence. [2] The method teaches students to intervene by using the 3 D's: Direct, Delegating the responsibility to others, and creating a Distraction to defuse a potentially dangerous situation. [2] As described by Green Dot an example of this is in a situation at a party, intervening could mean that instead of calling out an inebriated student, an individual can create a distraction by "accidentally" spilling their drink on a potential aggressor. [2]

Prior to creating the program, Edwards worked as the University of Kentucky's Violence Intervention and Prevention Director where she discovered that individuals were not sure how to respond when witnessing a potential sexual assault. [1] In her first year of running the program she trained 10 individuals, but by the time she left the University of Kentucky she was training 3,500 students and volunteers. [1] The initiative led by Dr. Edwards was supported by a new focus on bystanders in The White House. Green Dot, Bringing in the Bystander, and Coaching Boys Into Men are preventative bystander programs that have begun to make cultural changes.

Sexual assault in education

Sexual violence in schools and on campuses is a pressing civil rights issue. [4] [6] According to the National Women's Law Center students who suffer from sexual assault and harassment are deprived the liberty of equal education. [6] [7] A majority of sexual assaults involving college students also involve drugs and alcohol. [4] A female or male who is incapacitated due to drugs and alcohol is legally incapable of giving consent and someone who has sex with an incapacitated person can be prosecuted for rape. [10]

Purpose

The goal of Green Dot is to implement a bystander intervention strategy that prevents and reduces power-based personal violence. [1] [2] [5] [9] [11] Power-based violence includes: sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, child abuse, elder abuse, and bullying. The curriculum is created from the concepts and lessons learned through research and theory across disciplines including: violence against women, diffusion of innovation, public health, social networking, psychology, bystander dynamics, perpetration, and marketing/advertising. [2] [12] [13]

A Green Dot is a behavior, choice, or action that promotes safety for everyone. It communicates intolerance for sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking. [3] [13] The goal is to promote safety on college campuses. [1] [2] [5]

Training

Green Dot develops programs, strategies, curriculum, and training courses designed to address power-based personal violence across environments. [3] Training strategies include: strategic planning, bystander mobilization, communication, and coalition building. [1] [14] [15] The program provides training courses for leadership and professionals that focus on the core areas necessary for successful implementation of the program. [1] [10] [14]

The Green Dot bystander program uses four training modules to educate bystanders on their impact.

  1. The first module provides bystanders with an overview of the strategy, where key definitions and strategies are discussed. [9] [15]
  2. The second module reviews the observable behaviors associated with the major forms of power-based violence and educates about how to recognize potential dangerous or harmful situations. [9] [15]
  3. Module three educates bystanders on obstacles within themselves that stop them from intervening.
    • There are three major categories of influence it uses: [9] [15]
      • The categories are personal, relationship, and general issues, which impact the way in which individuals intervene. [2] [13] [14] Personal characteristics may include being shy, fearful, or uncertain and not wanting to risk embarrassment. [2] [13] [14] Relationship characteristics involve not wanting to upset friends or a party policer. [2] [13] [14] General issues include the belief that someone else will intervene, the risk of embarrassment, or creating a scene. [2] [13] [14]
  4. Module four focuses on building skills and generating confidence in the performance of the program.
    • There are two types of Green Dots: proactive and reactive. The goal of proactive Green Dots is to set the two norms that are communicated: violence will not be tolerated and everyone is expected to do his or her part to contribute to fostering a safe community. Reactive Green Dots are done in reaction to seeing concerning behavior or potential dangers, either to stop them from happening or decrease the likelihood they will get worse. [9] [15]

The heart of the Green Dot Bystander Intervention program are the 3 D's: direct, [3] distract, [3] and delegate. [3] Direct interaction with the potential perpetrator or victim can be used to address concern. [2] [9] [15] Through Distraction a bystander can create a diversion to diffuse the potentially problematic situation. [2] [9] [15] Lastly, through delegation a bystander can ask for someone else to help intervene in the situation. [2] [9] [15] The 3 D's work in situations of high risk to act as reactive Green Dots. [3]

Examples of proactive Green Dots are creating social media campaigns, checking-in with friends, promoting awareness, and hosting green dot sports games. [1] [3] [9] [15]

Examples of reactive Green Dots include: directly confronting a situation, distracting by changing the conversation and the energy of the interaction or by distracting the individuals, or delegating by finding someone who will be more successful in fixing the problem (bar tender, other friends, Police officer, etc.) [2] [9] [15]

Case studies

Ann Coker at the University of Kentucky's Center for Research on Violence Against Women (CRVAW) led a study pertaining to the effectiveness at Green Dots' reduction of sexual violence. In the study, CRVAW found a greater than 50% reduction in the self-reported frequency of sexual violence perpetration by students at schools that received Green Dot training. [11] The CRVAW study also found a 40% reduction in self-reported frequency of total violence perpetration including sexual violence, sexual harassment, stalking, and dating violence. [11] Ann Coker, and the CRVAW team identify violence prevention as a public health priority. [11]

A recent study of 2,504 college undergraduate students between 18 and 24 looked at the impact of bystander intervention on college campuses. The study found that 46% of the students surveyed had heard a Green Dot speech on their college campus. Out of the sample size surveyed, only 14% had received active bystander training in the past two years. Students trained in Green Dot bystander intervention reported engaging in significantly more bystander behaviors and observing more self-reported active bystander behaviors compared to non-trained students. Those receiving bystander intervention training appeared to report more active bystander behaviors than those simply hearing a Green Dot speech, and both intervention groups reported more observed and active bystander behaviors than non-exposed students. [16]

Related Research Articles

Title IX United States federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally-funded education programs

Title IX is a federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other education program that receives funding from the federal government. This is Public Law No. 92‑318, 86 Stat. 235, codified at 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681–1688. The early legislative draft was authored by Representative Patsy Mink with the assistance of Representative Edith Green. It was then co-authored and introduced to Congress by Senator Birch Bayh in the U.S. Senate, and Congresswoman Patsy Mink in the House. It was later renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act following Mink's death in 2002.

Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which includes child sexual abuse, groping, rape, or the torture of the person in a sexual manner.

The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. First proposed in 1964, much research, mostly in the lab, has focused on increasingly varied factors, such as the number of bystanders, ambiguity, group cohesiveness, and diffusion of responsibility that reinforces mutual denial. If a single individual is asked to complete the task alone, the sense of responsibility will be strong, and there will be a positive response. However, if a group is required to complete the task together, each individual in the group will have a weak sense of responsibility, and will often shrink back in the face of difficulties or responsibilities. The theory was prompted by the murder of Kitty Genovese about which it was wrongly reported that 38 bystanders watched passively. Recent research has focused on "real world" events captured on security cameras, and the coherency and robustness of the effect has come under question. More recent studies also show that this effect can generalize to workplace settings, where subordinates often refrain from informing managers regarding ideas, concerns, and opinions.

Bystander intervention

Bystander intervention is a type of training used in post-secondary education institutions to prevent sexual assault or rape, binge drinking and harassment and unwanted comments of a racist, homophobic, or transphobic nature. A bystander is a person who is present at an event, party, or other setting who notices a problematic situation, such as a someone making sexual advances on a drunk person. The bystander then takes on personal responsibility and takes action to intervene, with the goal of preventing the situation from escalating.

School violence encompasses physical violence, including student-on-student fighting and corporal punishment; psychological violence, including verbal abuse; sexual violence, including rape and sexual harassment; many forms of bullying, including cyberbullying; and carrying weapons in school. It is widely held to have become a serious problem in recent decades in many countries, especially where weapons such as guns or knives are involved. It includes violence between school students as well as physical attacks by students on school staff.

Hollaback!

Hollaback! is a nonprofit organization to raise awareness about and combat harassment, both online and in-person, through intervention trainings, a photoblog, and grassroots initiatives.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Education that is primarily focused on enforcing civil rights laws prohibiting schools from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or membership in patriotic youth organizations.

Sexual harassment in education in the United States is an unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with an American student's ability to learn, study, work or participate in school activities. It is common in middle and high schools in the United States. Sexual or gender harassment is a form of discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Sexual harassment involves a range of behavior from mild annoyances to unwanted touching and, in extreme cases, rape or other sexual assault.

School bullying Type of bullying in an educational setting

School bullying, like bullying outside the school context, refers to one or more perpetrators who have greater physical or social power than their victim and act aggressively toward their victim by verbal or physical means.This behavior is not a one-off episode; it must be repetitive and habitual to be considered bullying. Students who are LGBT, have parents of lower educational levels, are thought to be provocative, are perceived to be vulnerable, or are atypical or considered outsiders are at higher risk of being victimized by bullies. Baron (1977) defined such "aggressive behaviour as behaviour that is directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment".

Initiatives to prevent sexual violence

As sexual violence affects all parts of society, the responses that arise to combat it are comprehensive, taking place on the individual, administrative, legal, and social levels. These responses can be categorized as:

The Center for Respect is an anti-sexual assault organization in the United States which provides prevention materials and advocacy programs for middle schools, high schools, universities, community organizations, and the United States Military. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, The Center for Respect addresses consent, sexual assault awareness, bystander intervention, and support for survivors of rape.

Campus sexual assault is the sexual assault, including rape, of a student while attending an institution of higher learning, such as a college or university. The victims of such assaults are more likely to be female, but any gender can be victimized. Estimates of sexual assault, which vary based on definitions and methodology, generally find that somewhere between 19 and 27% of college women and 6–8% of college men are sexually assaulted during their time in college. In 2007, 23 psychologists conducted a study in which 47% of women in the United States have been sexually assaulted or raped in the past year. This was very beneficial to many other researchers in the same field.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center US non-profit agency

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is an American nonprofit organization that addresses the causes and impact of sexual violence through collaboration, prevention, and resources. Working in collaboration with state and territory sexual assault coalitions, representatives from underserved populations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, and a host of community-based and national allied projects, NSVRC provides national leadership to address and prevent sexual violence.

Sexual harassment in education is an unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with a student's ability to learn, study, work or participate in school activities. Sexual harassment encompasses a range of behavior from mild annoyances to sexual assault and rape. As committed by teachers, it is often framed as "sex for grades" and has attracted media attention throughout the world, partly in connection with the #MeToo movement.

The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was formed on January 22, 2014, after President Barack Obama directed the Office of the Vice President of the United States and the White House Council on Women and Girls to "strengthen and address compliance issues and provide institutions with additional tools to respond to and address rape and sexual assault". The Task Force is part of a wider federal move to bring awareness to sexual violence on American campuses, which also included the Office for Civil Rights release of a list of American higher education institutions with open Title IX sexual violence investigations and the It's On Us public awareness campaign. The co-chairs of the Task Force are Vice President Joe Biden and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett.

The Campus Accountability and Safety Act (CASA) was a bill introduced in the 114th United States Congress with the goal of reducing sexual violence on college and university campuses. First introduced in 2014, a revised bill was introduced in February 2015 by Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri with nine bi-partisan cosponsors. 43 co-sponsors eventually signed on. The bill died in committee at the end of the session without reaching a floor vote in either house.

The ARC3 Survey is a campus climate survey developed to assess perpetration and victimization of sexual misconduct on college campuses in the United States. In addition to measuring rates of sexual assault on campus, the survey also gathers data on those who are engaging in sexual assault. It was developed by a group of sexual assault researchers and student affairs professionals in response to the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The survey is free for college campuses to use. The study has been used to assess both graduate and undergraduate students.

Stop Sexual Assault in Schools is a United States non-profit organization that advocates for K–12 students’ right to an education free from sexual harassment and sexual assault. Sexual assault and severe or pervasive sexual harassment are types of sex discrimination prohibited under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in any education program that receives federal funding. SSAIS accomplishes its mission by creating and distributing free education programs, filing pro bono civil rights complaints with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), collaborating with national gender equity organizations, supporting legislative and legal initiatives, working with communities and families to bring schools into Title IX compliance, and educating the media about how sexual harassment and sexual violence in K–12 schools can violate students’ rights.

Julie S. Lalonde is a Franco-Ontarian women's rights advocate, author, and educator. She has created multiple feminist organizations and education campaigns, and has offered many training sessions surrounding sexual violence, harassment, and bystander intervention. Her first book, Resilience is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde, was published in February 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cherkis, Jason, and Ryan Grim. "Here's How You Can Help Stop A Sexual Assault Before It Happens." The Huffington Post 9 July 2015, Politics sec. Web. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/08/bystander-intervention_n_7758118.html
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Boyington, Briana. "What Families Should Know About Bystander Intervention." U.S. News 27 Oct. 2014, Colleges sec. Web. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2014/10/27/what-families-should-know-about-bystander-intervention
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "UCI Green Dot." University of California. University of California, 4 Nov. 2015. Web. http://www.studentaffairs.uci.edu/greendot/whatisagreendot.php
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Title IX." End Rape On Campus. End Rape On Campus. Web. http://endrapeoncampus.org/title-ix/
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The Green Dot Etc. Overview." Green Dot Etcetera. Green Dot Etcetera Inc, 2010. Web. https://www.livethegreendot.com/
  6. 1 2 3 "Title IX in Detail." Know Your IX: Empowering Students to Stop Sexual Violence. http://knowyourix.org/title-ix/title-ix-in-detail/
  7. 1 2 "Sexual Harassment & Assault." National Women's Law Center. National Women's Law Center, 2015. Web. http://www.nwlc.org/our-issues/education-%2526-title-ix/sexual-harassment-%2526-assault
  8. ↑ "Story".
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "An Overview of the Green Dot Strategy." California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA). California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Web. http://www.calcasa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Curriculum-Summary.pdf
  10. 1 2 Smith, Carol. "A Dangerous Mix: Drinking, Sex, and College Students." InvestigateWest. InvestigateWest, 2010. Web. http://invw.org/2010/02/25/940/
  11. 1 2 3 4 Hautala, Keith. "'Green Dot' Effective at Reducing Sexual Violence." University of Kentucky News: UKNOW. College of Arts and Sciences, 10 Sept. 2014. Web. http://uknow.uky.edu/content/green-dot-effective-reducing-sexual-violence
  12. ↑ "The Green Dot Etc. Philosophy." Green Dot Etcetera. Green Dot Etcetera Inc, 2010. Web. https://www.livethegreendot.com/
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Coker, A. L., P. G. Cook-Craig, C. M. Williams, B. S. Fisher, E. R. Clear, L. S. Garcia, and L. M. Hegge. "Evaluation of Green Dot: An Active Bystander Intervention to Reduce Sexual Violence on College Campuses." Violence Against Women 17.6 (2011): 777-96. Print.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Green Dot Etc. Training." Green Dot Etcetera. Green Dot Etcetera Inc, 2010. Web. https://www.livethegreendot.com/
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Green Dot Faculty & Staff Toolkit." University of Portland. Office on Violence Against Women. Web. http://www.up.edu/showimage/show.aspx?file=21219 Archived 2015-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ Coker, A. L., P. G. Cook-Craig, C. M. Williams, B. S. Fisher, E. R. Clear, L. S. Garcia, and L. M. Hegge. "Evaluation of Green Dot: An Active Bystander Intervention to Reduce Sexual Violence on College Campuses." Violence Against Women 17.6 (2011): 777-96.
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