Ending Violence One Green Dot at a Time

By PATRICIA LAMBERT
As I watch the news and go to school, I realize that things are happening and people aren’t taking a stand. People are getting killed and bullied. There are people watching these things happen and doing absolutely nothing to help. My belief is, if bystanders took action, it would lessen the crime and bullying in our community.
I feel that if you were to see something horrible happen, you should do something to help. When I see people argue on the bus, I am quick to take a stand. Not only do I feel like a better person, but I know I am stopping something before it happens. I think that not only should teens not be a bystander, but also adults.
Teens watch adults and do the things they do. If adults were to take action in the community, then teens would be willing to do the same.
The Coalition Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), is trying to start a program called the “Green Dot” which originated in Kentucky. This program allows people, such as teens and children, to understand and recognize the differences between “Red Dot” and “Green Dot.”
Let’s say, for example, a bully pushed an innocent boy and a girl saw it happen, and said “leave him alone.” She would be considered as a green dot; the bully would be a red dot. Another example would be if you were at a party and your friend was being sexually harassed and you intervened or told a trustworthy adult, you would be a “green dot.”
My hope is that this program will get underway very soon. Not only can teens take action in stopping crime before it happens; adults in the community can do the same.
Lambert, 15, is a volunteer with the Coalition Against Rape and Violence. She is a student at Middle Township High School.