Four more students on Northwest’s campus are now officially trained in bystander intervention following last Wednesday’s Green Dot Bystander Certification training. Northwest Green Dot Coordinator Danielle Koonce describes Green Dot as the University’s violence prevention initiative or strategy that is focused on how bystanders can intervene to stop or interrupt violence.
September 20 marked the first of three certification courses to be held during the fall semester and was hosted by Koonce, with the help of University Wellness Center Counselor Courtney Koch. Both are members of Northwest’s Green Dot Team. Koonce says that the program was launched in the spring of 2016 at the University and about 150 students have been certified since. This first course included only four participants, although Koonce says most courses in the past have been much larger and she …show more content…
During this presentation participants learn about what a bystander, green dot, and red dot are as well as realistic means of intervention and what warning signs look like.
Participants Sylvia Brand and Breanna Kass found their motivation to become certified from their positions as RAs. Kass just started her third year as an RA and says she wanted to become more knowledgeable on the how to intervene and more experienced on the subject for if a situation were to occur within her dorm.
“I wanted to be the bystander who did something rather than the bystander who could have done something,” said Brand, third year RA.
“This kind of program kind of helps people have that conversation more (about social norms regarding violence and intervention), so it’s not so overwhelming,” Koonce said. “It breaks it down into more manageable pieces.” To Koonce, working as Green Dot Coordinator is more than just a job. She grew up in a home where there was domestic
September 20 marked the first of three certification courses to be held during the fall semester and was hosted by Koonce, with the help of University Wellness Center Counselor Courtney Koch. Both are members of Northwest’s Green Dot Team. Koonce says that the program was launched in the spring of 2016 at the University and about 150 students have been certified since. This first course included only four participants, although Koonce says most courses in the past have been much larger and she …show more content…
During this presentation participants learn about what a bystander, green dot, and red dot are as well as realistic means of intervention and what warning signs look like.
Participants Sylvia Brand and Breanna Kass found their motivation to become certified from their positions as RAs. Kass just started her third year as an RA and says she wanted to become more knowledgeable on the how to intervene and more experienced on the subject for if a situation were to occur within her dorm.
“I wanted to be the bystander who did something rather than the bystander who could have done something,” said Brand, third year RA.
“This kind of program kind of helps people have that conversation more (about social norms regarding violence and intervention), so it’s not so overwhelming,” Koonce said. “It breaks it down into more manageable pieces.” To Koonce, working as Green Dot Coordinator is more than just a job. She grew up in a home where there was domestic