Green Dot for Colleges

Traditional prevention programs may only approach men as potential perpetrators and women as potential victims. Green Dot approaches all students, staff, administrators, and faculty as allies. The original Green Dot program was conceived in the college setting to prevent dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. It relies on the premise that if everyone does their small part and commits to individual responsibility, the combined effect is a safe campus culture that is intolerant of violence. The college-based curriculum draws heavily on the experiences of college students and the reality of this issue in their lives. This curriculum uses interactive activities to reinforce core concepts and encourages students to envision their future and the world in which they want to live, then aligns their bystander behavior with that vision.

A study of the Green Dot College Prevention Strategy was conducted in 2010-2013 on three campuses, one which implemented the Green Dot Prevention Strategy and two which had no bystander intervention program. In the multi-year evaluation of the impact, violence rates were lower on the campus implementing Green Dot than the campuses with no bystander program. Specifically, the study looked at the incidents of unwanted sexual victimization, sexual harassment, stalking, and psychological dating violence including victimization and perpetration. Interpersonal violence victimization rates were 17% lower among students attending the campus implementing Green Dot. A similar pattern held for interpersonal violence perpetration.

“The Green Dot Strategy has made a huge impact preventing power-based personal violence here at Mizzou. Since its implementation over six years ago, Green Dot has become a force for change on campus, becoming a household name among staff and students alike. What has really made the Green Dot program so effective is the power that comes from a simple shared vision and common goal that the entire Mizzou family can follow. That vision for the community is one of hope. A hope created by knowing that real change can be made and that all faculty, staff and students have a role to play in achieving that hope. That role is ultimately driven by the motto that no one has to do everything, but everyone can do something. Our ultimate goal is to put our office out of business. I firmly believe that Green Dot can do that for our campus.” –Danica Wolf, RSVP Center Coordinator, aka “Green Dot Mizzou Lady”

Research indicates that while students perceive their risk of sexual assault during study abroad as very low, they are up to five times more likely to be sexually assaulted during study abroad. In 2017, funding from Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women enabled Middlebury College and their Vermont undergraduate campus to partner to adapt the Green Dot Prevention Strategy for their students traveling abroad. Research for the adaptation included surveying, interviewing, and conducting focus groups with more 200 students and professionals to better understand the reality of interpersonal violence while studying abroad. Recently, professionals from Middlebury were trained on the first Green Dot Prevention Strategy Study Abroad Program.

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