If you’ve seen green wristbands around the school and wondered what they were for, well this is the article for you. Green Dot is a movement new to C.H.S. and the Charlottesville community. It’s mission is to put an end to abuse of all kinds including harassment, child abuse, sexual assault, and discrimination. K.T.R. sat down with Laurie Jean Seaman, one of the main organizers of Green Dot, to get some insight on the movement.

Seaman believes that while the students and staff at C.H.S. have good intentions and an inclination to help those in need, they don’t always know what to do. “I have been collaborating with students, teachers, and administrators at C.H.S. since 2010, and over the years have been inspired by the community at CHS. There is a lot of compassion, empathy, and desire to do good in the community. But over the years, many people have expressed that bystander intervention is not “normal” in some parts of our community.”

There are a few “barriers” that make people hesitant from intervening. Seaman has noticed a few that are frequently seen. “Maybe we’re worried about embarrassing ourselves, maybe we don’t know if it’s our business to step in, or maybe we just don’t know what to do.”

Green Dot is working to show people that there are many ways to help while still respecting your own barriers and being comfortable.

Wondering how you can get involved? It’s much easier than you may think. When approaching a potential instance of abuse there are 3 ways to intervene, the 3 D’s: Direct, Delegate, and Distract. As a bystander, you have many options depending on the situation and can utilize these 3 approaches to help victims of abuse. At the end of the day, it doesn’t take an extensive knowledge of the types of abuse and bystander intervention to help someone. As Anne Ernst, librarian at C.H.S. and also a part of Green Dot, rightly stated that, “You don’t have to be trained to understand how to treat somebody kindly.”