female empowerment, through self-defense
Empowerment is contagious for those who harness the courage to deal realistically and safely with some of our worst and most terrifying fears.
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"It is never our fault. I learn self-defense, not because it is my
responsibility, but because it is my reality."
does it work?
In a study published in 2015 by psychologists from Ontario and Alberta, Canada, just under 900 college women were randomly assigned to either take an education program that incorporates elements of empowerment self-defense or to receive brochures about sexual assault. One year on, surveys of participants showed that the risk of completed rape was statistically significantly lower in the women who took the course, 5.2% versus 9.8%, compared to the control group. Rates of attempted rape were also statistically lower, 3.4% compared to 9.3%. Two years on, a follow-up analysis of a subset of the participants from the same experiment showed the reduction in attempted rape was still significant.