Faculty and Staff Toolkit

Thanks for taking the time to help! Finding a way to integrate the Green Dot into your course curriculum or lesson plans this semester just got easier with this handy tool kit. The tool kit outlines several different ways you can live the green dot in your academic capacity. In this tool kit, you will find paper topics, syllabus statements, extra credit assignments and a host of other creative ways to incorporate the Green Dot into your classroom and make a difference.

Reactive Green Dots for Faculty & Staff

Talking points for intervening with a student who is a victim:

  1. It’s not your fault.
  2. You’re not alone.
  3. Here is someone you can call and talk to (refer student to advocacy services on campus).
  4. Do you feel safe?
  5. What do you need?

Talking points for intervening with a student who is showing aggressive or high risk behaviors:

  1. Aggression and violent behaviors are not okay and will not be tolerated here.
  2. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
  3. I care about what is going on with you and am concerned about your choices.
  4. If there is something going on that is bothering you, you can talk to me or a resource on campus. (Know your campus policies regarding violence and follow the reporting procedures when necessary).

Proactive Green Dots for Faculty & Staff

Examples of Proactive Green Dots

  • Hang a Green Dot poster in your office.
  • Have local resource brochures visibly available in your office.
  • Have an endorsement statement attached to your email signature line, such as “I’m a Green Dot supporter” or “What’s your Green Dot?”
  • Use your relationships and departmental partnerships to discuss ways in which to support students as bystanders, support survivors, and improve safety for positive outcomes in the classroom.

Statements for Syllabus:

Your course syllabus is a resource that your students will refer to throughout the semester. It will communicate the path to success for students in your class: what assignments and papers need to be completed, attendance expectations and other requirements for a passing grade. What else can you communicate to students with this one document? A syllabus can be used to communicate your values and commitment to violence prevention, active bystander behavior and support for survivors of violence! A small, simple message added to your syllabus can communicate and assure students that you are in this together. The path to a safer campus requires small acts by all campus community members. Add a footer or a header to your syllabus with a simple message and listing campus resources (including yourself) if someone needs a safe person to seek help. Here are some examples of statements of commitment and support:

  • “I am committed to supporting and encouraging students, staff and faculty to take responsibility for safety on our campus. Ask me about my Green Dots.”
  • “I believe we can all play a role in preventing violence. We are all bystanders and we can make choices to contribute to a safer campus. What’s your Green Dot?
  • “If you experience any form of violence, I am here to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out or contact: Victim Advocate Program (850) 644-7161.”
  • “If you or someone you know experience stalking, partner violence or sexual assault, please know, you are not alone. There are resources that can help: Victim Advocate Program (850) 644-7161”
  • “Because I know reducing the number of people on this campus who get hurt by interpersonal violence requires everyone doing their part, I pledge to be an active bystander, support survivors of violence and proactively reinforce campus prevention activities. Ask me how you can get involved too.”
  • “I believe we all play an integral role in combating campus power-based personal violence. I pledge to be a positive and active bystander. And my classroom and office are safe places if you or someone you know has experienced violence.”

Extra Credit Assignments & Paper Topics

Offering extra credit to students is always a very motivating factor. Below are some activities or events that could be used as extra credit assignments.

  • Talk about it. Have 10 conversations with friends or classmates about violence prevention or interpersonal violence in general and keep a log of the themes. —
  • TikTok it. Research 5 bystander barriers (things that can keep people from acting in high risk situations) and create TikToks to demonstrate each one. These articles will help:
    • Latane, Bibb, and John M. Darley. “The unresponsive bystander: Why doesn’t he help?.” (1970): 276-290.
    • Darley, John M., and Bibb Latane. “Bystander intervention in emergencies: diffusion of responsibility.” Journal of personality and social psychology 8.4p1 (1968): 377.
    • Latane, Bibb, and John M. Darley. “Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies.” Journal of personality and social psychology 10.3 (1968): 215.
    • Fischer, Peter, et al. “The unresponsive bystander: Are bystanders more responsive in dangerous emergencies?.” European journal of social psychology 36.2 (2006): 267-278.
    • Garcia, Stephen M., et al. “Dual effects of implicit bystanders: Inhibiting vs. facilitating helping behavior.” Journal of Consumer Psychology 19.2 (2009): 215-224. —
  • Google it. Look up bystander intervention and violence prevention. Find 10 sources (articles, YouTube videos, websites, etc.) that you can learn from and report back. —
  • Tweet it. Create a hashtag for violence prevention efforts on campus and see how many retweets, favorites, hashtags repeats you can get. Report how effectively you were able to spread the message. You can do this with Facebook or other social media sites. Keep track of the “likes,” “shares,” “comments” and “follow backs.”
  • Market it. Design a mock social marketing campaign to mobilize the campus community around violence prevention. Write a plan, create a brand and distribution system.
  • Attend it. Participate in a community or campus event focused on Green Dot, violence prevention or victim support (Green Dot Bystander Training, Take Back the Night, Domestic Violence Coordinating Council’s March to End the Silence on Domestic Violence).
  • Discover it. Interview a local or campus victim service provider, advocate or counselor about their work and their opinions on prevention of violence.
  • Organize it. Start a project or organize and event or gathering to further Green Dot and other prevention efforts on campus. Mobilize your community! —
  • Volunteer for it. Volunteer at the campus advocacy services, local rape crisis center or domestic violence shelter.
  • Write about it. Write an article or letter to the editor for the local or campus newspaper about the importance of violence prevention.

The following list of paper topics is by no means exhaustive. You can assign topics from the list or offer it as a brainstorming tool for students.

  1. The role of the bystanders in violence prevention.
  2. Bystander dynamics, what keeps people from acting in high-risk situations?
  3. The role of primary prevention in reducing the prevalence of partner violence, sexual assault and/or stalking.
  4. The impact of high profile incidents of sexual assault on college campuses.
  5. The psychological effects of rape victimization.
  6. The mental health outcomes of partner or sexual violence perpetration or victimization.
  7. The physical health outcomes of partner or sexual violence perpetration or victimization.
  8. The portrayal of violence in the media, specifically partner violence, sexual assault and stalking.
  9. The history and application of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
  10. How gender socialization perpetuates partner violence, sexual assault and/or stalking
  11. Social media and sexual assault shaming.
  12. The economic impact of interpersonal violence.
  13. Rates and impact of male victimization experiences (which includes, but is not limited to child abuse).
  14. Use of social media and other technology in stalking and partner violence.
  15. 16. The cycle of violence associated with partner/interpersonal violence.
  16. Outcomes in case law of famous domestic violence and rape trials.
  17. Objectives and impact of federal Office of Violence Against Women (OVW).
  18. The history of Title IX.
  19. Major social justice or cultural movements and their application to reducing violence today. How does culture change happen?
  20. Social norms that contribute to the sustainability of interpersonal violence.
  21. Problems with rape and domestic violence legislation.
  22. The impact of interpersonal violence from a global perspective.
  23. Interpersonal violence in the LGBTQ community.
  24. Popular rape myths and an analysis of why they are so difficult to dispel.
  25. Medical injuries sustained by victims of domestic violence.
  26. Use of the socio-ecological model in comprehensive violence prevention.
  27. Applying the public health model to violence prevention.
  28. Violence prevention interventions across the life span.
  29. Best practices in sexual assault prevention on college campuses.
  30. Evidence-based bystander approaches to violence prevention.
  31. Marketing and branding applied to behavior and social norms change.
  32. Diffusion of innovation and its application to behavior and social norms change.
  33. Sexual aggression associated with sexual assault perpetration and repeat offenders.
  34. The use of peer education in effective violence prevention strategies.
  35. Community mobilization and violence prevention.
  36. Neighborhood collective efficacy as a protective factor against partner or sexual violence perpetration or victimization.
  37. Effective social marketing for violence prevention.
  38. Developing effective messaging for violence prevention efforts on college campuses
  39. Environmental management associated with the prevention of sexual assault on college campuses.