The Black Dot Campaign

Photo: The Black Dot Campaign

This is another one of those great ideas that could backfire badly! The purpose of the black dot on the palm of your hand is to identify yourself as an abuse victim who needs assistance but can’t for whatever reason verbally express that need to those around you. It is a great idea because it is a silent cry for help when it is not safe for the victim to verbalize that outcry. It was a 2015 social media campaign that saved lives.

What is unfortunate, is that in order to get the word out to victims, the abusers are also notified. It is statistically proven that a victim of domestic violence is at their most vulnerable once he/she has decided to make the move to get away or ask for assistance.  I myself have wondered about the notification process currently in place at hospitals. One of the first screening questions asked of a new patient is if he/she feels safe at home and if they are in a dangerous and/or violent relationship. When I was last hospitalized and asked that question, it was in the presence of a significant other and two of my adult children! If I had been afraid, asking me that question in front of the most likely perpetrators would have not allowed me to safely speak up. However, had I been in such a scenario I could have easily put the dot in my palm while filling out paperwork and shown it silently to the intake staff during something as simple as a blood pressure check.

So, I would ask you to take note of the campaign and the dot’s most likely meaning if you see it. But not to show your support via placing the dot on your own palm (unless you do need help) as it confuses the issue of shedding light on the problem and the possibility of an individual’s safety. Yes, the effectiveness of the campaign is reduced by simply putting the knowledge out there… but now that the spotlight has faded from this alert method, we can hope that the abuser is so busy watching what the victim is saying and to whom rather than concentrating on the victim’s palm and more lives will be saved. Years ago, women who have run from an abuser set up signals with their neighbors to let the neighbor know the perpetrator was in the home by turning on the porch light during the day or flicking the light off and on after dark. Dozens of lives have been saved by that simple click of a light switch and hopefully this campaign will eventually have as much success. For additional information on the black dot campaign and domestic violence continue at the link below

Domestic Abuse Victims Paint Black Dots On Hands As Subtle Signal For Help

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