Green dot

Violence Will Not Be Tolerated

Green Dot Alaska is a project aimed at engaging individual community members in preventing power-based violence in our communities. Power-based violence includes domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, elder abuse, child abuse and bullying. What we know for sure is that rates of all types of abuse are too high in Alaska – our sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, neighbors and friends are being harmed at alarming rates.

Everyone is Expected to do Their Part

We also know that most people don’t want the next rape or act of domestic violence to happen. Our communities are made up of good people who want violence to end but may not know what to do about it or who have valid reasons they don’t intervene. We call these reasons for not intervening “barriers.” We all have barriers and that is ok! Green Dot helps us to discover lots of options for intervening when we see signs of violence (reactive Green Dots) as well as easy ways to begin to change our culture (Proactive Green Dots).

What Can I do?

Violence prevention must mirror the problem of violence. In the same way that violence is a collection of individual choices to harm, we can make an army of personal choices to step in, to intervene, to say “no.” Every choice to intervene is a green dot. So keep watch.

What is a Red Dot?

Fundamentally, violence in our community is a collection of individual choices to harm. And each choice to harm is a red dot on our map.

A red dot is when someone’s words, choices, or actions somehow contribute to or tolerate violence. Even though it may be hard to get involved, the truth is that when most Alaskans choose to stay out of it, more red dots make it onto our map. The Green Dot program recognizes that intervening can be hard and that more people would step in if they had the right tools.

What is a Green Dot?

Any act or any statement that expresses an intolerance of violence is yet another green dot. We change the culture when we build these “daily green dots” into our lives.

Right now, our culture supports violence. By doing green dots daily, we will change our culture to one where violence is not tolerated and everyone is expected to do their part. Even if you go through a whole day or week without ever seeing a red dot, you can still do small things daily to spread green dots.

You don’t have to wait for violence to occur, here are some Green Dots you can start doing now…

• Talk to a friend or family member about interpersonal violence. • Support local and national organizations that work on issues related to violence prevention with your time, money, or voice. • Create a Green Dot-inspired Facebook post or email tag line • Affirm someone for doing a Green Dot or retell a Green Dot story you heard. • Encourage behaviors and policies that support a workplace that is free from violence • Get more training on power-based personal violence and let people around you know that you are a safe person to talk to about violence • Attend a Green Dot Training in the community or through your workplace. • Contact your elected officials and discuss the importance of violence prevention.

What are the 3 D's?

Direct

Check in with some you feel might be a victim, "hey, are you ok?"
Tell the aggressor, "This isn't ok, you need to stop".

Delegate

Call the police, notify security, tell a manager, bartender, elder, or church leader. If you are there, chances are others are there and you don't have to do it alone.

Distract

Do something unexpected to interrupt the situation. Set off your car alarm, spill something, break out into song, ask for directions, you are only limited by your imagination.