The “Green Dot” Campaign is a social norms program that UTC has adopted to demonstrate commitment to making campus safe for all students, faculty and staff. Green dots are a visual reminder that violence is not tolerated on campus. It is a way to remind everyone to be active participants working to create a safe and healthy environment.
Green Dot buttons and stickers will be distributed from 11a.m.-2 p.m. at the UTC University Center lobby Monday, September 29-Wednesday, October 1.
The idea of using the Green Dot symbol comes from a University of Kentucky program created by Dorothy Edwards. By using the color green to evoke proactive responses, the UTC campus community will be continually reminded to take action to prevent violence and to support victims.
“Imagine that a green dot is any behavior‚ choice‚ word‚ or attitude that promotes safety for women and communicates intolerance for violence,” said Sara Peters, Women’s Center Director and Coordinator for Education and Advocacy, Transformation Project.* “A green dot is pulling a friend out of a high risk situation. A green dot is responding to a victim blaming statement with words of support. A green dot is volunteering at the Transformation Project. A green dot is attending an awareness event. A green dot is inviting a speaker to come talk to your group about preventing interpersonal violence and abuse. A green dot is simply your individual choice at any given moment to make our campus safer.”
* The Transformation Project provides leadership working with campus and community partners to reduce violence against women, including relationship violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Project, campus members, and community partners have created a multidisciplinary coordinating council to ensure that UTC offers a comprehensive approach to preventing and addressing violence against women on campus. The Project also works with campus and community partners to create policies and protocols that ensure that the campus is responsive to victim needs. The Project offers direct services and facilitates the use of existing community resources. It also provides training and educational programs as well as information and referral services. It is committed to creating safe spaces for survivors of all races, religions, sexual orientations and genders.
For additional information, please visit http://www.utc.edu/Outreach/TransformationProject/greendot.php.
