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Green Dot program aims to prevent interpersonal violence

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zade Vadnais
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  A select group of Airmen assigned to Shaw have taken the first step in the Air Force's five-year strategy to decrease interpersonal violence across the force by attending training to become Green Dot implementers.

Green Dot is a non-profit organization that prepares large agencies, such as the Air Force, to execute violence prevention strategies that reduce power-based interpersonal violence. The program differs from the Air Force's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program in that it includes not only sexual violence, but also domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, child abuse, elder abuse and bullying.

"Overall we're implementing a five year program called the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention Strategy," said Capt. Alexis Shaw, 20th Fighter Wing interim prevention specialist. "This strategy involves putting together all prevention methods, such as SAPR and suicide prevention, and trying to find other ways to help people intervene and be proactive instead of reactive against all types of interpersonal violence."

Units from around the base sent a total of 12 Airmen to Robins Air Force Base, Georgia for training on implementing the unique program, which focuses on the role bystanders play in violence prevention rather than the dynamic between perpetrators and victims. The program provides Airmen with different tools to intervene in the event of a potentially dangerous situation such as directly intervening, delegating intervention and creating a distraction.

"Green Dot changes the discussion about interpersonal violence in the Air Force by acknowledging that most Airmen want to prevent violence but face barriers to taking action," said Master Sgt. Crystal Malave, 20th Maintenance Group development and instructional element chief and Green Dot coordinator. "The big thing is that it's a cultural change."

Although no single Airman can change the culture of the entire Air Force, the Green Dot program recognizes that if every Airman takes small action, positive changes will occur over time. Studies have proven that the program is effective at reducing interpersonal violence as well as unwanted sexual harassment. The Center for Disease Control found decreases in perpetration and victimization ranging from 36-50 percent in independent research done at public high schools where Green Dot training was implemented.

"We have a lot of support from leadership which makes a big difference because they picked people who were excited to learn about the program and were willing to take on a message," Shaw said. "It's kind of a new approach to how we do training. We may not see the effects now, but in the future we will look at violence prevention in a whole different way because of it."

Shaw's leadership plans send more Airmen to complete Green Dot implementer training by the end of March. Upon their return, they will begin sharing Green Dot's violence prevention strategies with their peers with the ultimate goal of having all Shaw Airmen trained by the end of the calendar year.