- Green Dot is an active bystander approach to Violence Prevention. The Green Dot strategy is based on the premise that the greatest power lies in the bystander – each one of us. Through our choices and actions we can define our norms and ultimately decide what we will and will not accept in our schools and our community.
- A Red Dot is a single moment in time when someone uses power-based personal violence to harm someone else: dating violence, bullying, sexual violence, stalking or any type of abuse in our community.
- We can prevent red dots with Green Dots. A green dot is a moment in time where someone uses their words, actions, attitudes or other choices to stop a high-risk situation from getting worse, or to promote a general intolerance for violence. It is a choice to be involved in keeping your school or community safe.
- Doing green dots makes our spaces inhospitable to power-based personal violence. When we all do our part, we measurably reduce the violence occurring all around us!
of teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner.
of teenage girls who have been in relationships reveal they have been pressured to perform oral sex or engage in intercourse
of teenage girls in a relationship report enduring repeated verbal abuse
of teens regard verbal abuse as a ‘serious issue’ for their age group
Refuge House proudly implements Green Dot, a comprehensive approach to violence prevention that uses the power of peer influence to promote culture change and reduce power-based personal violence. Currently based in two Leon County schools, the Green Dot Refuge House model targets students, parents, staff and community members as potential bystanders. These stakeholders are taught proactive behaviors that establish intolerance of violence as the norm and reactive interventions that aid in the ultimate reduction of violence in high-risk situations.
This program incorporates into its training: group and individual activities, team competitions, workbook activities, group discussions and role playing. The overall goal of Green Dot is to turn acts or potential acts of violence (red dots) into moments of prevention through proactive or reactive actions (green dots) to symbolize a culture that no longer tolerates violence.
Various organizations across the country and throughout Florida implement the Green Dot Strategy in high schools, colleges and communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded a five-year study to evaluate Green Dot in High School across Kentucky. The study examined bystander intervention in 26 high schools over five years and confirms that Green Dot for High Schools reduces rates of sexual abuse, dating violence, stalking, and other interpersonal violence by statistically significant percentages. The study results were published in 2017 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Need more information? Contact Us.
Please call 850-681-2111 and ask for Green Dot, or email receptionist@refugehouse.com.