Green Dot training hopes to decrease interpersonal violence

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacy Moless
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs

Airmen are taking their first steps in a five-year strategy to decrease interpersonal violence across the service by attending Green Dot training.

Green Dot is a community-based initiative the Air Force adopted to increase outreach and prevention. The goal is to provide violence-prevention tools to the entire Air Force over the next three years and have fewer people hurt by power-based personal violence.

If one were to look at a map of what Green Dot envisions, they would see red and green dots. Red dots represent an act of power-based personal violence and green dots are any choice that promotes safety and communicates intolerance for violence. The green dots ultimately represent positive action taken against red dots, and individual choices that make our world safer.

“The Green Dot Program is about solving a problem, a problem we have here at Holloman and the Alamogordo area. The problem is too many people are choosing to use their words and actions in inappropriate ways—either physically, verbally, sexually, or even stalking,” said Master Sgt. Teri, Inspector General Superintendent. “Green dots are times when people choose to use their words or actions to actually help someone else.”

A few examples of Green Dot action are checking in with a friend, being there for someone, or walking someone to their car at night.

“By letting people know that we won’t tolerate any type of interpersonal domestic violence, rape, stalking, or assault, sets the standard here at Holloman,” said Teri.

Green Dot prepares organizations to implement a strategy of violence-prevention that includes not only sexual violence, but also domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, child abuse, elder abuse and bullying. This strategy capitalizes on the power of peer and cultural influence across all levels of the socioecological model.

Jerold, Family Advocacy outreach manager here further explained the process.

“When we see our influential and respected peers engaging in positive behaviors, we tend to follow along with their behavior,” said Jerold. “However, the same can be said when we are influenced by negative behaviors of peers.”

Reflective of Green Dot’s wider scope, command-designated Airmen at each installation will conduct 50-minute long sessions across the Air Force. Installation leadership will also have oversight of Green Dot training through the Community Action Information Board and Integrated Delivery System, and track completion through the Advanced Distributed Learning System.

“I am expecting some initial resistance, but we are establishing a new brand,” said Jerold. “We basically have a shot at getting the buy in from our Holloman community. This positive brand is what we are working to establish with Green Dot and with all of our members working and living on Holloman. When we earn the positive buy in from our Airmen, they will have learned realistic behaviors they can do to establish two base norms. Interpersonal violence will not be tolerated and everyone is expected to do their part.”