• Bystander: Anyone in the community who sees or hears about a behavior that could lead to something high risk or harmful. Every bystander faces the same choice, “Do I get involved and try to make things better, or do I ignore the situation?”
• Power-Based Personal Violence: Forms of violence that use power, control and/or intimidation in order to harm another.
• Stalking: A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
• Dating/Domestic Violence: A pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Dating/Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats that influence another person.
• Sexual Assault: Any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.
• Barriers: Things that stop us from getting involved. Barriers can be social, relationship, personal or physical.

 

Red Dot

A moment in time where someone’s words, choices or actions contribute to power-based personal violence in some way

Examples:

• The choice to have sex with someone without their consent.
• The choice to continue to text/call/message someone after being asked to stop.
• The choice to physically harm another person.

Green Dot

A moment in time where someone’s words, choices or actions reduce the likelihood that someone will be harmed by violence or proactively communicate an intolerance for violence

Proactive vs. Reactive

Reactive Green Dots are things that are done in response to a potential red dot.

Examples:

• The choice to directly ask a friend to stop incessantly texting an ex.
• The choice to create a distraction by setting off a car alarm in a parking lot where one person is screaming at another in an intimidating manner.
• The choice to call on a friend or peer to help you get a friend to safety that is being bothered at a party.

Proactive Green Dots are things you can do every day in your life that express your commitment to Green Dot and ending violence on our campus.

Examples:

• The choice to post a message on social media about why bystander intervention is important.
• The choice to encourage friends to attend a Green Dot training.
• The choice to role model to incoming students and peers that power-based personal violence is not okay with you.

Direct

Directly inserting yourself into a potential red dot situation and stopping it by addressing those who are involved.

Examples:

• Asking someone who seems uncomfortable or unsure if they are ok.
• Checking in with someone who appears overly intoxicated and offering to get them home safely
• Telling your friends that you think their joke about sexual assault is offensive.

Delegate

If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable stepping in yourself, getting someone to intervene for you who might be more equipped or better able to handle the situation.

Examples:

• Call a nearby authority figure (professor, RA, staff member, etc.) and ask them to help.
• If it’s not an emergency and you want to report anonymously: fill out a CARE form, Sexual Misconduct and Gender-Based Violence form, or Bias Incident Reporting Form.
• Ask a person’s roommate if everything is okay because they are missing class.
• Ask a friend of the person potentially being or doing the harm to help intervene and check on them.

Distract

Defusing a potential red dot by distracting those involved and interrupting the choice to make a red dot.

Examples:

• Breaking up a heated argument by pretending your phone battery is dead and asking to borrow someone’s in the argument
• Accidentally spilling a drink on the guy who keeps forcing your drunk friend to dance with him.
• Setting off your car alarm in a parking lot where two people are fighting.

Recognizing These Warning Signs

• Isolating someone from their friend group
• Incessant texting — person receiving message seems anxious or upset by this
• Consistently showing up outside of classes without being asked to
• Unwanted touching or contact
• Pressuring to consume alcohol or other drugs
• Monitoring of partner’s emails/texts/calls
• Behavior changes:
  • Becoming withdrawn
  • Emotional outbursts/mood swings
  • Missing classes
  • Canceling activities

You can access 24/7 confidential counseling through Transitions of PA. An advocate is available in the VIP Center during business hours. Click here for additional resources.