I want you to take a moment and think about someone important to you whether it’s your sister, your best friend, a significant other, etc. Now imagine a situation in which another person is about to inflict harm on that person. You notice a bystander who could have intervened and prevented a harmful situation from unfolding but they choose not to. How does that make you feel? Now imagine that they do intervene. How does that make you feel?
In this situation, we would all want someone to intervene. That is what Green Dot is about – bystander intervention. Every victim of sexual assault and interpersonal violence is someone’s sister, daughter, or best friend and we are all potential bystanders. We have all been imperfect bystanders, seeing or noticing something and feeling like we should say or do something but choosing not to. You might think:
· “It’s none of my business”
· “I may be doing more harm than good”
· “If it was really serious someone else would step in”
Green dot is about encouraging intervention if you see a potentially harmful situation because the potential benefits outweigh the costs. Green dot provides a few methods of intervention, called the 3 D’s, which include:
· Direct: this is a very confrontational approach. Directly asking the potential victim if they are alright or calling out the offender
· Distract: get the two (or more) parties away from each other. Say things like “Come to the bathroom with me” or “Hey, your bike is being stolen”
· Delegate: getting other people involved and making it clear that you see a problem in which someone may need bystander intervention.
We all have an obligation, as students at UCSB and members of the Isla Vista community, to step in and step up. No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something.