Direct, distract, and delegate:
these are three words you will hear Michelle Gervasi, program assistant of
But what exactly is a green dot, and what do those green dots around campus stand for?
To understand what a green dot is, all collegiettes should first know what a red dot is. A red dot is an act of power-based personal violence, or a choice to “tolerate, justify, or perpetuate this violence.” A red dot is using derogatory language. It is sexual assault, it is stalking, and it is dating/domestic violence. A red dot is a choice to do nothing when seeing a potential high-risk situation.?
A green dot is something that counteracts a red dot. According to OAVI, it can be defined as “any behavior, choice, word, or attitude that promotes safety for all of us and communicates utter intolerance for any form of violence.” ?
?When facing a high-risk situation, here are some methods to use to be a green dot:
Direct: Go up to the person who appears to be in distress and ask if he/she is okay. Ask if that individual is comfortable in the situation he/she is in. Ask what that person’s intentions are.
Distract: Distract the person to get them out of a potential red dot situation. (“I am feeling really sick, can you help me?” is my personal favorite!)
Delegate: Tell another person of your fear of a potential high-risk situation, and ask them to intervene.?
Now, here are some hypothetical situations. How would you handle them? TCNJ SAVE Peer Educator, Chelsea VanOrden offered ways she would act in these high-risk situations. ??
1) You are at a popular frat party and you see your friend dancing with someone he/she just met. Your friend is intoxicated, and the person he/she just met pushes your friend against the wall and tries to hook-up with him/her. The new person then proceeded to get your friend to go upstairs. What would you do??
VanOrden says, “I would approach them and I would use the direct method. To protect my friend I would remind him that when someone is intoxicated they cannot give consent and it is considered sexual assault. Due to his aggressive nature from what I observed I would feel that is the best way to act.”
??2) You see someone in your class that you have not talked to. They frequently miss class, and when they are in class, they are always wearing sunglasses and long clothing. During your most recent class, the student’s sunglasses fall off his/her face and you noticed they are severely bruised. What would you do?
VanOrden says, “I would approach and say my name and that I hardly see them in class. I would probably crack a joke about how I don’t want to be in class either and then proceed to tell them I saw they have a bruise under their sunglasses and I just want to make sure they’re OK because it looks pretty bad.”
??3) You notice your friend, who has just recently started dating a new person, has become much more distant and acting very different. Your friend’s partner is always asking them where they are, what they are doing, and whom they are with. You also notice that your friend has been dressing differently than usual. You ask your friend to go bowling with you, and he/she says they need to ask permission of their partner. What would you do?
?“I would ask why they need permission and then calmly ask if the other person asks them permission before they go out with friends. Then if it is a yes or no I would casually remind them that trust is vital to a healthy relationship and they, in my opinion, don’t seem to be trusting each other,” says VanOrden.?
?4) You are walking down your residence hall, and you hear your neighbor and his/her partner screaming at each other. You then hear a loud crash and scream. What would you do??
?“If I heard a loud crash after an argument I would stop by with the excuse that I heard the crash and I wanted to make sure everyone in the room was safe,” says VanOrden. “Then while there I would observe the situation and mention I heard them fighting and would ask if they are okay.”
There are many different ways to be a green dot. All collegiettes have the choice to do nothing, or do something. What will you chose?
For more information about the green dot imitative, bystander intervention, or SAVE Peer Education, contact or visit the Office Anti-Violence Initiatives, located on the third floor of Holman Hall.