Why do Empowerment Self Defense?

WHY do
EMPOWERMENT SELF-DEFENSE?

Self-defense is not just a set of techniques; it’s a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending. CHURCHILL

June 4, 2019

This page will explore 5 distinct issues:

What is Empowerment Self-Defense?
Statistics on Victims of Sexual Violence
Statistics on Campus Sexual Assault
Research on Self Defense
Empowerment Self-Defense IMPACT Chicago Information & Statistics

What is EMPOWERMENT Self-Defense (ESD)?

If you’re like most people, when you think of “self-defense,” you imagine a person – probably young, white, and fit – karate-kicking a stranger in a dark alley or parking garage. However, self-defense is far more than just physical fighting, and it is accessible to all people, regardless of their age, gender, race, level of fitness, or physical ability. It also addresses far more than just assaults by strangers.
Here are some of the key features of ESD:

We recognize that the most frequent perpetrators of assaults are people you know and trust, and we teach techniques appropriate for those situations.
We focus on awareness, recognizing danger signs, effective boundary setting, assertiveness, and verbal self-defense skills. These strategies empower you to stop assaults in their very early stages, before they escalate to physical danger.
We also teach easy-to-learn, highly effective physical tactics — including non-violent tactics — that require minutes or hours rather than years to master. You do not need any prior experience or skills to take this class.
Rather than telling you what they should do in a particular situation, we offer a toolbox of strategies for avoiding and interrupting violence, and we empower you to choose the options that are appropriate for your own situation.

This approach has been found to be very effective in reducing your risk of sexual assault.

Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics

Sexual Violence Affects Millions of Americans

On average, there are 321,500 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States.1

Younger People Are at the Highest Risk of Sexual Violence

Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault.3
Those age 65 and older are 92% less likely than 12-24 year olds to be a victim of rape or sexual assault, and 83% less likely than 25-49 year olds.4 Read more statistics about about child sexual abuse.

Women and Girls Experience Sexual Violence at High Rate

Millions of women in the United States have experienced rape.
As of 1998, an estimated 17.7 million American women had been victims of attempted or completed rape.5 Young women are especially at risk.
82% of all juvenile victims are female. 90% of adult rape victims are female.6
Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.3
Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4 times more likely.7 Read more statistics about campus sexual violence.

Men and Boys Are Also Affected by Sexual Violence

Millions of men in the United States have been victims of rape.
As of 1998, 2.78 million men in the U.S. had been victims of attempted or completed rape.5
About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.5
1 out of every 10 rape victims are male.8

Transgender Students Are at Higher Risk for Sexual Violence
21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females, and 4% of non-TGQN males.17

Sexual Violence Can Have Long-Term Effects on Victims

The likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.

94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape.9
30% of women report symptoms of PTSD 9 months after the rape.10
33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide.11
13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.11
Approximately 70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress, a larger percentage than for any other violent crime.12

People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.11

3.4 times more likely to use marijuana
6 times more likely to use cocaine
10 times more likely to use other major drugs

Sexual violence also affects victims’ relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers.12

38% of victims of sexual violence experience work or school problems, which can include significant problems with a boss, coworker, or peer.
37% experience family/friend problems, including getting into arguments more frequently than before, not feeling able to trust their family/friends, or not feeling as close to them as before the crime.
84% of survivors who were victimized by an intimate partner experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.
79% of survivors who were victimized by a family member, close friend or acquaintance experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.
67% of survivors who were victimized by a stranger experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

Victims are at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Studies suggest that the chance of getting pregnant from one-time, unprotected intercourse is between 3.1-5%13, depending on a multitude of factors, including the time of month intercourse occurs, whether contraceptives are used, and the age of the female. The average number of rapes and sexual assaults against females of childbearing age is approximately 250,000.1 Thus, the number of children conceived from rape each year in the United States might range from 7,750—12,500.12 This is a very general estimate, and the actual number may differ. This statistic presents information from a number of different studies. Further, this information may not take into account factors which increase or decrease the likelihood of pregnancy, including, but not limited to: impact of birth control or condom use at the time of attack or infertility. RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review sources for more information and detail.

Citations for these statistics can be found: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics

Women Ages 18-24 Are at an Elevated Risk of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence on campus is pervasive.

11.2% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).2
Among graduate and professional students, 8.8% of females and 2.2% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.2
Among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.2
4.2% of students have experienced stalking since entering college.2

Student or not, college-age adults are at high risk for sexual violence.

Male college-aged students (18-24) are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.1
Female college-aged students (18-24) are 20% less likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.1

Sexual Violence Is More Prevalent at College, Compared to Other Crimes

About 1 in 6 college-aged female survivors received assistance from a victim services agency.2
21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females, and 4% of non-TGQN males.2

College-Age Victims of Sexual Violence Often Do Not Report to Law Enforcement

Only 20% of female student victims, age 18-24, report to law enforcement.1
Only 32% of nonstudent females the same age do make a report.1

Sexual Violence May Occur at a Higher Rate at Certain Times of the Year

More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November.4
Students are at an increased risk during the first few months of their first and second semesters in college.4

Citations for these statistics can be found: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence

Research on Self-Defense

Women’s Self-Defense Frequently Asked Questions
Jocelyn A. Hollander, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, University of Oregon

Does self-defense prevent violence?
This is really two questions:

First, can women’s resistance stop sexual assault? The answer is a resounding yes. There is a large and nearly unanimous body of research that demonstrates that women frequently resist violence, and that their resistance is often successful. This research, of course, includes many women without self‐defense training.
Second, does self-defense training decrease women’s risk of assault? Here the research literature is smaller, but unanimous: Yes. Three major studies over the past few years, including a large, randomized control trial, found that women who complete an ESD class are at least 50-60% less likely to be raped over the following year than similar women who did not learn self-defense (see Hollander 2014, Senn et al. 2015, Sarnquist et al. 2014, and Sinclair et al. 2013). In addition, women who completed a self-defense class were one-third as likely to report an attempted rape. In other words, women who learn self-defense are both more likely to avoid rape if they are attacked, and much less likely to be attacked in the first place.

Does self-defense increase a woman’s risk of injury?

No. There is an association between resistance and injury, in that women who resist a sexual assault are also more likely to be injured. But research that looks at the sequence of events has found that in general, the injury precedes the resistance. In short, women resist because they are being injured, rather than being injured because they resist. On average, resistance does not increase the risk of injury.

Shouldn’t we be putting all our resources into prevention strategies focused on perpetrators?

No. Violence against women is a complex social problem. Ultimately, large-scale social changes will be needed before violence against women can be stopped. However, this kind of social change is slow – and so far, our efforts have not been very successful. If we focus only on perpetrator-focused, “primary” prevention strategies, we are condemning millions of women to suffering rape and sexual assault. While we wait for these efforts to work, ESD training can provide an immediate, and effective, antidote for sexual violence.
There has been little research on the effectiveness of prevention strategies focused on potential perpetrators. Most strategies that have been rigorously evaluated have been found to be ineffective at preventing violence.
Preventing sexual violence will require a comprehensive range of efforts. Some efforts should be long-term (e.g., cultural climate assessment and change), others should be medium-term (e.g., bystander intervention training), and some should be short-term (e.g., self-defense training). We do not have to choose only one approach; a complex social problem requires that we address it on multiple fronts and in multiple ways.

Is self-defense training cost-effective?

Yes. Sexual assault is very expensive, in terms of post-assault medical service, legal services, and human suffering. Self-defense training, in contrast, is quite inexpensive. A recent Nairobi-based study found that comprehensive self-defense training cost US$1.75 for every assault prevented, compared with an average of US$86 for post-assault hospital services. Given the higher cost of medical services, it is likely that the savings would be even greater in the United States.

Is self-defense victim blaming?

No. Empowerment-based self-defense classes explicitly attribute responsibility for assault to perpetrators, not victims. Just because a woman is capable of defending herself does not mean that she is responsible for doing so.
Although self-defense training is frequently lumped in with other kinds of risk reduction advice (e.g., staying out of public spaces, traveling with a buddy, wearing modest clothing, or avoiding alcohol), it differs in important ways. Staying home, relying on others for protection, and limiting one’s clothing or alcohol consumption all constrain women’s lives. Self-defense training, in contrast, expands women’s range of action, empowering them to make their own choices about where they go and what they do.
Some people have worried that women who learn self-defense may blame themselves if they are later unable to prevent an attack. However, research has found that women with self-defense training who experience a subsequent assault blame themselves no more – or even less – than women without self-defense training. Moreover, women who are raped but physically resist are actually less likely than other women to blame themselves for their assault.

What else should I know about self-defense training?

Learning self-defense empowers women in ways that go far beyond preventing assault. Empowerment self-defense training decreases women’s fear and anxiety and increases their confidence, their sense of self-efficacy, and their self‐esteem. Learning self-defense helps women feel stronger and more confident in their bodies. Women report more comfortable interactions with strangers, acquaintances, and intimates, both in situations that seem dangerous and those that do not. Empowerment self-defense training can also be healing to survivors of sexual violence.

Citations for these statistics can be found: https://selfdefense.uoregon.edu/research-on-self-defense/

Empowerment Self-Defense
IMPACT Chicago Information & Statistics

IMPACT is a non-profit committed to ending violence and building a nonviolent world in which all people can live safely and with dignity.

People are not at equal risk of sexual assault.

Women are more at risk of sexual assault than men. One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives (CDC); 91% of sexual assault victims are women, 9% men (DOJ)
Youth are at risk of sexual assault. Of rape victims, half the females & almost three quarters of males are raped before age 18; half the males and almost 1/4 of females before age 12 (NIJ).
Women and girls with disabilities are at higher risk of sexual assault than women and girls without disabilities. As many as 40% of women with disabilities experience sexual assault or physical violence in their lifetimes and more than 90% of all people with developmental disabilities experience sexual assault (DOJ)
Lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender women are at greater risk of sexual assault than heterosexual and cis gender women. (1) Approximately 1 in 8 lesbians (13%), nearly half of bisexual women (46%), and 1 in 6 heterosexual women (17%) have been raped. (NISVS) (2) 12 percent of transgender youth report being sexually assaulted in K–12 settings by peers or educational staff; 13 percent of African-American transgender people surveyed were sexually assaulted in the workplace; and 22 percent of homeless transgender individuals were assaulted while staying in shelters. (OVC)

Empowerment Self-Defense reduces experiences of sexual violence.

Self-protective actions reduce the risk of rape more than 80% compared to nonresistance (NIJ)
Self-defense reduces unwanted sexual contact, sexual coercion, attempted rape, and completed rape (Jocelyn Hollander)
The 1-year risk of completed rape was significantly lower in the resistance group than in the control group (5.2% vs. 9.8%; relative risk reduction, 46.3% [95% confidence interval, 6.8 to 69.1]; P=0.02). The 1-year risk of attempted rape was also significantly lower in the resistance group (3.4% vs. 9.3%, P<0.001). Charlene Senn et al.

Sources include Center for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Justice (DOJ), National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

*For more information on IMPACT Chicago, go to https://www.impactchicago.org

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