Green Dot is an active bystander training programme for staff and students. It equips them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to identify, intervene and report sexual assault.
 
Green Dot is a prevention programme focusing on sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. It launched in 2006 at the University of Kentucky. It has reached 575 schools and colleges across the United States and trained 3,525 students and teachers in the Green Dot principles.
 
The University of Westminster is proud to be the first university in the UK to introduce the Green Dot Initiative, supported by Catalyst (Office for Students) and Quintin Hogg Trust funding.
 
What you will learn

Through the programme you will learn the benefits of bystander intervention and the principles of being an active bystander in situations of power based personal violence.

Green Dot is not just a training programme but aims to change the culture of the institutions it works within. It gives staff the skills to train students, and it gives students the knowledge and confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour in their academic and personal lives.

The skills learned are not just applicable to incidences of power based personal violence. They can be used in any situation that where there is a risk of escalation or harm.

Training will be carried out by members of academic and professional staff at Westminster who have been trained and accredited within the programme.

Training

The Green Dot project offers training to students and staff, regardless of their position or year of study.

There are two types of training. Both contain the same information but differ in time and depth.

Type 1: Overview

Overview talks are generalised training on offer to all students and staff.

They take around 60–75 minutes and explore the main concepts of the active bystander initiative.

This training is a general introduction to the initiative. Although it is less detailed than the full training, it is still beneficial.

Type 2: Bystander training

Bystander training is the main part of the programme. It explores the active bystander in depth, along with barriers that individuals feel may prevent them from intervening.

The training also offers a platform for those engaged to voice their experiences and collectively work with the University to ensure that these experiences inform the way similar situations are dealt with in future.

Those who wish to be leads within the community of the Green Dot movement will benefit enormously from this training.

This training has not been developed for online delivery yet.

Note: Both types of training explore sensitive issues such as sexual abuse, domestic abuse and harassment. If at any point during the training, you feel uncomfortable please raise this with one of the trainers. They are all trained in supporting you along the programme.
 
 

How to get involved

Please check the  Student’s Union Events page for updated training.

Register your interest by emailing GreenDot@westminster.ac.uk.  If you are not available for any of the scheduled sessions, please email to register your interest, and we will contact you when more sessions are arranged.
 
We are also able to schedule training sessions for smaller groups of 10 to 20 people.