By ALLYSON COOK
Reporter
(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — A Green Dot staff member spoke to UCM’s Student Government Association at their meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.
Holly Weiss, Green Dot’s violence prevention specialist, presented about violence prevention education at both the SGA House and Senate meetings.
During the presentation, Weiss said Green Dot has caused a 17 percent reduction in sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking on college campuses. She said the program’s three-step bystander process can be simplified as “direct, delegate and distract.”
Weiss said 4.2 percent of UCM’s students have experienced sexual assault in the last year and 11.2 percent experienced verbal abuse. On the positive side, she said 73 percent of the student population said they would tell someone in a bystander situation.
One way to get involved with Green Dot is by nominating leaders from student groups to attend bystander intervention training. Weiss said the point of getting people with social influence trained in prevention methods is that they are looked to for advice or to make decisions about social activities.
SGA President Luke Hawley said he thinks it is important to inform student leaders on the best ways to promote a safe campus.
“We just like to make sure that there are people in SGA that can lead in their classrooms and various communities in order to promote a safe campus,” Hawley said.
Green Dot training sessions are scheduled for 4-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, and 12-5 p.m. Sunday, April 2. Meals will be provided for those in attendance. To nominate someone for bystander training or for more information about Green Dot contact Weiss at [email protected].
Next week, a representative from UCM Public Safety will be at the SGA meeting to provide ALICE training. ALICE training is used during active shooter situations or when someone is being violent with a weapon. The SGA meeting is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. in Wood 205.