Angela Stebbins
Equinox Staff
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, originating in 1987 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and KSC is doing something about it.
Campus Safety has started teaching its first session of R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) classes for women on campus. Rape aggression is described in the class as any force or threat against a woman’s will that restricts her freedom of movement or desire to leave.
R.A.D. was founded in 1989 and is the largest women’s self-defense training network in the U.S. and/or Canada. This program meets or exceeds all National Coalition Against Sexual Assault Guidelines, and is the only self-defense program ever endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).
KSC’s Director of Campus Safety, Amanda Warman, has been teaching R.A.D. since 1996 and said, “I love connecting to the students, teaching them to empower themselves…and watching their confidence develop.” In regards to October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month she continues, “It is especially poignant when I have survivors of violence in class: to see them undergo a visible change in how they carry themselves and their level of confidence. For those women, completing the class can be transformative.”
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Annan Walker is a sophomore from Salem, N.H. and is participating in this first session. She said, “I joined the class so I will be more confident on a daily basis and feel like I have the ability to take care of myself.”
Another student, Jessica Perry, a freshman from Rutland, Vt. said, “I decided to take this class because I knew it would better me…and I would feel more comfortable no matter where I was or who I was with, not just here but anywhere in the world.” She finished by saying, “I am glad that I decided to sign up for these classes and my family feels a lot more comfortable knowing I’m learning how to defend myself.”
R.A.D. is a comprehensive self-defense course that starts with training on risk awareness, reduction, risk recognition, and avoidance, then transitions into the basics of hands-on defensive training with protective blocks, hits, and kicks. All are designed to effectively empower women’s resistance to rape or assault.
As if just getting this training once for free wasn’t good enough, when you graduate from the class, you become a lifetime member. You can then go anywhere in the U.S. or Canada where R.A.D. is offered and attend a refresher class for free, so long as there is space available in that class.
If you would like to participate in the next upcoming R.A.D. session, classes are announced on MyKSC with a link to the Campus Safety website to register.
R.A.D. defense training is not just for women. There is a second class offered for men, but the acronym stands for Resisting Aggression with Defense and has an adjusted set of skill-sets taught to accommodate the typical scenarios that a man might be faced with as well.
Campus Safety runs about three R.A.D. classes each semester based on demand, and the next R.A.D. session registrations are going on now so sign up, put on your sweatpants or any other comfortable clothing, and get R.A.D. at KSC!
If you would like to know how to get involved in Domestic Violence Awareness Month or to show your support there are many simple things you can do to help. One quick and easy symbol of support is to wear purple ribbons to bring national awareness to the issues faced by battered women and their children as purple is the color for the month’s activities. Or, if you have an old cell phone you no longer need, you can also help save lives and help the environment by donating your used cell phones to the NCADV. NCADV receives a portion of the revenue that come from the sale of refurbished cell phones to support their programming.
Angela Stebbins can be contacted at astebbins@ksc.mailcruiser.com