The Black Dot Campaign...Exposed

So, I have seen a few people post the following on Facebook and other social media sites:

I have had so many thoughts about this, I thought I would write a post. In theory, this would be wonderful! Just think, if victims had a way to silently ask for help with their abuser present...so many problems would be solved and so many lives would be saved. However, as we know, theory doesn't always translate to practice.

My first thought when I started seeing this was one of hope then it was quickly followed by skepticism. Here are the problems with a campaign like this:

Firstly, the person on the other side of the black dot has to know what the black dot means AND receive the signal that help is needed AND take action to get that person to safety. So, this piqued my interest and I started doing some searching on the campaign...Basically, no professionals have been made aware or trained on what the black dot means; leaving it meaningless in many settings.

Secondly, say we wanted to educate people on the black dot means...the best way to do this is to use social media outlets because more than just doctors, therapists, etc would need to know what it meant if it were going to truly work. However, educating the masses means you're also educating the abusers! So, now, an abuser knows to check the hands of the victims before going anywhere, possibly resulting in bigger ramifications if black dots are found.

The end result, in my opinion, is to use this "campaign" as a way to spread awareness and get people talking but please do not encourage people to do something that could possibly harm them. I don't want to discourage use of campaigns like this but I do want people to think more deeply and use good judgement. Any campaign that starts a conversation is a good one, in my opinion! So keep sharing and keep offering your help in whatever way you can! Some sites say the campaign has addressed some of these concerns by stating victims know their abusers and what would put them in more harm but that's not always the case. Abuse can escalate and can escalate quickly, especially if a new trigger is introduced or the abuser finds something that makes him/her feel like he/she is losing control. So the bottom line, stay aware, stay educated, and stay safe! Reach out for help if you need it and don't stay silent. Raise awareness in any way you can but be sure to promote safety as well!

Domestic Violence awareness month is coming up! Let's spread the word and get talking!