JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM -- In recent years, bystander intervention as a way of thwarting sexual assaults has moved to the forefront of prevention efforts in the Air Force. JBPHH Airmen have joined the movement to use bystander intervention to decrease interpersonal violence across the force through the Green Dot program.
The Green Dot program, contracted by the Air Force through the non-profit Green Dot organization and recently rolled-out at JBPHH, will prepare the base to implement a strategy of violence prevention that reduces power-based interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, child abuse, elder abuse, and bullying.
The new program is part of the Air Force’s five year strategy to significantly decrease the number of violent acts that occur each year in military communities.
Master Sgt. Warrell Shanklin, 15th Comptroller Squadron and Green Dot coordinator, said the program offers a different perspective on bystander intervention and focuses on prevention rather than the victim or perpetrator of violent acts.
Shanklin said the objective of the program is to have more green dots in any given area than red dots, which represent instances of interpersonal violent acts.
According to Shanklin, there are two types of green dots. Reactive green dots represent a moment in time when an individual intervened to stop a violent act. A proactive green dot represents things that are done to prevent a violent act, or red dot, from occurring.
“It’s about changing the environment to create a culture where we are making sure red dots never occur,” Shanklin said. “It’s doing the little things to prevent violent acts, and that’s what the green dots represent. They aren’t representative of any particular person, but of positive actions. Without green dots, red dots would just build until they over take a base or community.”
The Green Dot program offers three actions bystanders can use to intervene: direct, delegate or distract, based on the situation.
“One thing everyone will learn in training is how to identify where they draw the line and are willing to step in, and how,” Shanklin said. “We want to help you understand what barriers to intervention are and how to use direct, distract and delegate to intervene and overcome those barriers to help. That’s the whole point of the training.”
Green Dot training will replace the current annual Sexual Assault Prevention and Response training.
“SAPR training deals with how to respond after something has happened,” Shanklin said. “Green Dot will work to prevent sexual assaults and any other acts of violence from occurring in the first place.”
The training will be rolled-out in three phases here. During Phase 1, base leadership was educated on the theories and concept of the Green Dot program. During Phase 2, early adopters will be identified and trained, then planted back in the units to begin inspiring change. Early adopters will be those identified as natural leaders in the units, and may have already been notified and invited to join the program. The third and final phase will be delivering the training to the masses, with a goal of having all JBPHH Airmen trained by December 31.
Green Dot training was initially tested in high schools before moving on to U.S. college campuses and now the Air Force. According to Shanklin, high schools that have initiated the program have seen more than 50% reduction in violence, which is tangible proof the program works.
“This prevention method is not only good for the base, but you could use this with your children, in your families and as a protective measure for communities,” she said.
Airman 1st Class Miranda De Valdivielso, 324th Intelligence Squadron and Green Dot program trainer, said she thinks the program will be successful at JBPHH because it is relatable.
She said it’s also different from other mandatory training programs already in place in the Air Force.
“It think it will be different from other trainings because this program isn't intimidating. It's very humanizing,” she said. “People can relate a lot more with Green Dot because it doesn't focus on just one problem.”
De Valdivielso said the program doesn’t claim to stop violence, but takes a realistic approach to preventing it.
“I think younger Airmen should get involved with the concept of Green Dot because it’s training that can help them out in real situations—whether that’s hanging out with friends or going to work,” she said. “They will really benefit from and appreciate this training.”
Shanklin said the idea that most people have either seen or experienced violence made her want to act and be involved.
“I wondered if it was really possible to keep violence from occurring beforehand and I really, really wanted to give that idea a try,” she said. “I wanted to see if a small group of people could really make a big difference in a community. Just think about all the things that have happened in this world because one person or a few people decided to act.”
Shanklin said her hope is that through the Green Dot program they might be able to teach people to care more about what’s happening around them and to look out for one another more.
“This training brings more of a human aspect to prevention,” she said. “The idea is not to blame bystanders for not intervening but to help them think about what to do and to understand how important intervention is in any potentially violent situation. We also want them to know it doesn’t take long to intervene. It only takes a few seconds to make a difference.”
For more information on the Green Dot program, or to become involved, contact Master Sgt. Warrell Shanklin at warrell.shanklin@us.af.mil.