Bystander intervention training plays a key role as part of a comprehensive strategy to permanently reduce rates of violence and mobilize and empower all members of a given community. Through bystander intervention training, the Green Dot program engages witnesses to interrupt situations that are imminently or potentially high-risk for violence, increases self-efficacy and provides skill building and specific strategies to increase the likelihood that trained individuals will actually intervene. By expanding the role of bystanders beyond reactive, the Green Dot program trains participants to engage in proactive behaviors that model and endorse norms that are incompatible with violence. The ultimate goal is not simply to react to potential violence as it is occurring, but rather to simultaneously shift community norms that support the violence that is occurring.
The core elements of Green Dot programs are informed by rigorous research and evaluation. But, to ensure widespread impact, each program is conceptualized as a detailed template designed to be modified and adapted for maximum resonance with each audience. Integrating language, examples, values, and concepts that match the specific context and culture of the participants will increase engagement and ultimately the effectiveness of the program.
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