Self-defense Course Research Articles

Security Concerns and Conflict Experience of Physically Disabled People in The Czech Republic

People with disabilities are more vulnerable to violence than their non-disabled counterparts. The fear of crime increases with the experience of victimization. There are many attempts to enhance the confidence of being outside alone or decrease the fear of crime through self-defense courses. 
 The aim of the present study is to determine the level of security concerns in people with physical disabilities and to identify the most frequent crime they are facing.
 77 physically disabled people (aged 15 and more; 45 women, 32 men; 5 elementary, 44 secondary, 28 higher educated) participated in the research. 49 participants use mechanic or electric wheelchair, 19 participants use other compensatory aids, 9 participants do not use any compensatory aids. 35 participants use the assistant service, 42 do not. 
 Data was collected via a questionnaire of four parts, in which participants expressed their security concerns, confidence, or vulnerability in given situations through a 6point scale. Each part of the questionnaire is supplemented by an open question encouraging participants to express their experience. People with disabilities have a slight fear of possible conflict situations. This fear increases in conditions with a greater chance of a potential conflict situation or areas that cannot be left immediately. 
 The results suggest a slight sense of helplessness in verbal conflict situations or a developing conflict that can still be de-escalated. We can assume that people with disabilities feel very vulnerable when it comes to direct physical assault.

Empowerment Through Feminist Self-Defense: The IMPACT Lasts.

What do women learn in feminist self-defense that is empowering? This study examined the skills women used months and years after completing an IMPACT self-defense course. Ninety-seven survey participants described skills they had used and incorporated into their lives. The major themes that emerged through a classic grounded theory analysis were awareness, boundary setting, assertive body language, and managing adrenaline to prevent, interrupt, or stop uncomfortable, intrusive, or hostile behaviors. IMPACT-trained women did not engage in self-blaming or risky behavior and used their skills to prevent and interrupt aggressive behavior.

The Need for Developing Self-Defense Courses in University Physical Education and General Education Program

<p>本研究目的旨在探討大學院校開設防身自衛術選項課程的必要性，並透過文獻蒐集之方法加以研究探討後，希望藉由所得結果能提供作為，各校未來規劃體育與通識課程開課之參考。防身自衛術課程頗受學生的喜愛，防身術並可以提升學生身體的健康，又可以增強學生的心理素質，起到防止他人暴力侵襲、保護學生自身安全的目的，具有一定的健身價值和實用性，因此，在大學校院體育選項和通識教育相關課程，應該推廣開設防身自衛術選項教學課程。防身自衛術是一種具有攻防含義，能夠提高防身和自衛能力的技擊性動作，也是源自於柔道和柔術、擒拿術等多種技術動作之中。而隨著防身自衛術課程的發展，漸漸地進入了大學興趣體育選課項目之中，正在逐漸的被大學生所接受。大學生學習並掌握防身自衛術，可以提高自衛防身的保護能力，當碰到突發的意外險境時，就會有足夠的膽量和氣魄來保護自身的安全，以免遭到傷害，並還能夠給不良分子以沉重的打擊。但由於學生防身術運動課程的推廣特點，應根據學生生理、心理特徵，探索合適的教學模式和教學方法，才能在校園內永續的發展。</p> <p> </p><p>The purpose of this study is to investigate the need for developing self-defense courses in universities through literature review. It is hoped that the results can be used as a reference for future development of physical education or general education program. Self-defense courses are popular among students because it can improve students’ physical health, enhance students’ psychological quality, prevent violent attacks by others, and protect students’ own safety, and has fitness value and practicality. Therefore, the development of self-defense courses should be promoted in the physical education and general education at university campuses. Self-defense is a technical action with the meaning of attack and defense, which can improve the ability of self-defense and self-defense. It is derived from judo and jiu-jitsu, grappling and other technical actions. With the development of self-defense courses, it is an elective physical education course and is gradually being welcome by college students. University students who learn and master self-defense can improve their self-defense protection ability, when encountering unexpected danger. Students will have enough courage and courage to protect their own safety, so as not to be hurt, and can also give bad people a heavy blow. However, due to the characteristics of the self-defense courses, appropriate teaching models and methods should be explored according to the physiological and psychological characteristics of students in order to develop the self-defense courses in a sustainable manner on campus.</p> <p> </p>

Violence against healthcare workers during COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Abstract Background Violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) has gained increasing attention in recent years, both because it is on the rise and because there is growing concern about these incidents, which are classified as sentinel events by the Italian Ministry of Health. Since little is known about the actual burden of this phenomenon, especially during the stressful COVID-19 vaccination campaign, we decided to explore the problem in our region. Methods Between January and March 2022, in the 1.2 million-inhabitant Friuli Venezia Giulia region (Italy), we conducted an anonymous online survey to collected data on episodes of violence and their consequences for HCWs. Data from validated tools assessing characteristics of violent episodes and post-trauma impact were analyzed in conjunction with socio-demographic data of respondents. Results 200 HCWs participated in the survey, most of whom were women (72%), worked as nurses (107) or doctors (71), and had a mean age of 47 years. More than half of them (59%) reported at least one episode of violence, mainly in the form of a verbal assault (64%); there were no differences between victims. In 72 cases, these incidents affected the HCW’s private life, mainly disturbing sleep or concentration (68%). Most HCWs stated that inadequate communication was a trigger for the violence (97%). Although 80% of HCWs would readily report any violent incident, to improve the situation they called for certainty of action against the perpetrator (87%), more organizational support (85%), standard procedures (75%) and self-defense courses (75%). Conclusions Violence in COVID-19 vaccination campaign appears to be common and to affect both the personal and professional lives of HCWs. Improvements at the institutional and personal level could help to address this problem that affects the health workforce. Key messages • Given the growing public debate, violence in healthcare settings is an important issue that needs to be addressed in the coming years. • Assessing workplace violence and its associated risk factors will help focus on the strategies that can be usefully employed to prevent it in the future.

Empowerment Self-Defense Training in a Community Population

Nearly all research on the effects of women’s self-defense training examines college age or, less frequently, adolescent populations. This study broadens that focus by evaluating the effectiveness of self-defense training for an adult community population, ages 18–77 years, comparing students who completed a 9-hr community-based empowerment self-defense course to similar women who did not take the course. Participants who completed the empowerment self-defense course reported significantly less sexual assault at the 1-year follow-up as well as significantly greater self-defense self-efficacy, more accurate knowledge about sexual assault and the possibility of resistance, and less self-silencing than those who did not take the course. This research provides the first systematic evidence that empowerment self-defense training can be effective in preventing assault in adult populations outside of educational contexts. Empowerment self-defense training is therefore an important part of sexual assault prevention efforts. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684319897937

Rape Aggression Defense Course: Physical, Psychological, and Interpersonal Benefits Among Women With and Without Interpersonal Victimization Histories.

Women's self-defense training increases self-efficacy and reduces subsequent assaults, but self-defense training's effects on women's psychological and interpersonal functioning are understudied, particularly for women with histories of interpersonal victimization. This study examined the effects of a self-defense course on somatic symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, interpersonal problems, and locus of control among women with and without interpersonal victimization histories and explored how women's disinhibition of their aggression during simulated attacks predicts changes in their symptoms and functioning. In all, 82 women reported their symptoms and functioning before participation and 6 weeks after participation in a university-based Rape Aggression Defense course. Among the whole sample, participation in the course led to significantly decreased posttraumatic stress, somatic, and hostility symptoms and problems with being too nonassertive, overly accommodating, and self-sacrificing. Women who reported interpersonal victimization histories (n = 49) did not differ in the degree of improvements when compared with women without interpersonal victimization histories (n = 33). Greater disinhibition during the simulation predicted less improvement in some symptoms; moderation analyses showed that this association occurred only among those women with high baseline anxiety or hostility. These findings highlight the value of self-defense training in improving the health of women, including posttraumatic stress symptoms and interpersonal functioning, regardless of women's history of interpersonal victimization. Results also suggest the importance of considering women's baseline symptoms in modulating the degree of aggression that is optimally expressed during training.

The Effect of 2 Weeks of Inactivated Probiotic Bacillus coagulans on Endocrine, Inflammatory, and Performance Responses During Self-Defense Training in Soldiers.

Hoffman, JR, Hoffman, MW, Zelicha, H, Gepner, Y, Willoughby, DS, Feinstein, U, and Ostfeld, I. The Effect of 2-Weeks of Inactivated Probiotic Bacillus coagulans on Endocrine, Inflammatory and Performance Responses During Self-Defense Training in Soldiers. J Strength Cond Res 33(9): 2330-2337, 2019-The effect of 2 weeks of inactivated Bacillus coagulans (iBC) ingestion on performance and inflammatory cytokines was examined during a self-defense course in soldiers. Sixteen male soldiers were randomly assigned to either iBC (n = 8) or placebo (PL; n = 8) in this double-blind study. Participants were garrisoned on base and participated in the same training tasks. Assessments were conducted in a single day before (PRE) and after the supplementation period (POST). During each testing session, participants were assessed for vertical jump power (VJP), muscle endurance, simulated casualty drag, and 2 100-m shuttle runs. Resting blood measures for testosterone, cortisol, creatine kinase, and inflammatory cytokines were also assessed. Mann-Whitney analysis of change (Δ) scores indicated no significant change (p's > 0.05) in any of the performance or blood variables. However, a trend (p = 0.089) was noted in the Δ score for VJP in iBC compared with PL. In addition, trends were observed in the change in IL-10 (p = 0.057) and IFNγ (p = 0.057). Magnitude based inferential analysis indicated that changes in VJP and simulated casualty drag were likely beneficial (90.7 and 80.4% likelihood effect, respectively) for iBC. In addition, iBC supplementation very likely augmented IL-10 concentrations, but was possibly negative for changes in IL-6, and likely negative for changes in TNFα and IFNγ. Changes in all other performance and blood markers were unclear. Results indicated that 2 weeks of iBC supplementation appeared to be beneficial for maintaining power and short-term speed performance, while attenuating the inflammatory response during intense training in a military self-defense course.

Fear of Falls in Wheelchair Users

The article deals with the issue of fear of falls in wheelchair users and the change in fall concerns after completing a self-defense course. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a self-defense course for wheelchair users on their fear of falls. To collect data we used a questionnaire and participant observation in the lessons of self-defense for wheelchair users. The participants filled in the questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of the course.The results show that the course of self-defense has an effect on wheelchair users´ fear of falls. This effect differs depending on the type of disability of the participant and on the level of self-confidence. We can claim that the participants with a low level of fear at the beginning of the course this attitude has shifted slightly and they became more aware of potential threats. On the contrary, the participants whose level of fear was high, those fears were reduced and their attitude towards a potential fall is slightly more relaxed.

"Get Out of My Home and Don't Come Back!" Empowering Women Through Self-Defense.

Can self-defense courses empower those already victimized? This article explores the potential for self-defense courses to have specific efficacy in the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV). It draws on interview ( n = 36) and pre- and postevaluation ( n = 44) data from two studies: (a) evaluation of a pilot study of a feminist empowerment self-defense course designed specifically for women's refuge/shelter clients (Violence Prevention Project [VPP]) and (b) evaluation of women's self-defense courses collected as part of a larger evaluation study (Skills for Safety). The overwhelmingly positive findings from both studies suggest greater consideration be offered to providing further collaborative refuge/self-defense courses for women victimized by IPV.

"Don't Ever Give Up!" Resisting Victimhood Through Self-Defense.

Whether or not women should physically resist a male attacker has been a long-contested issue. This article enters this debate drawing on findings from an evaluation of a feminist self-defense course. It locates these data within a broader historical context to question dominant discourses around ideal femininity and explore the potential for empowerment such courses can offer, particularly for women deemed at high risk. It draws on qualitative data from interviews with course participants (n = 15), community stakeholders (n = 15), and self-defense instructors (n = 7), as well as quantitative data from pre-post course evaluations (n = 115). Findings are presented to demonstrate how participants and stakeholders from a diverse range of women's groups experienced the program. Evidence is presented that the participation not only resulted in increased self-defense skills but importantly also the confidence and attitude to put these skills into action, if required. Factors identified as critical to the success of these courses are explored, and the implications are assessed in relation to both prevention and empowerment.

"Back Off Buddy, This Is My Body, Not Yours": Empowering Girls Through Self-Defense.

Although growing recognition is being given to the benefits of teaching self-defense skills to college women, very little research attention has considered the impacts of providing such courses to school-aged girls. This article presents the findings from a large-scale evaluation of self-defense programs provided to three different age groups of schoolgirls from diverse backgrounds in New Zealand, drawing on survey responses from the girls themselves, supplemented by qualitative data provided by key informant interviews with their school and self-defense teachers. The findings provide clear evidence of the many positive benefits that can result for girls of all ages who participate in feminist self-defense courses taught by carefully trained instructors with a strong empowerment focus.

Action-Oriented Responses to Sexual Harassment in Egypt

Action-Oriented Responses to Sexual Harassment in Egypt

Innes: Security Bonds

Risk in society is a pertinent concept of late modernity. Most elements of our social and interpersonal lives are in some way linked to concerns about safety, security and fear of harm. As a consequence, we spend a great deal of time engaged in emotional, physical and economic processes that facilitate our safety. Whether this be through purchasing anti-theft devices, or subscribing to self-defense training courses; participating in neighbourhood-watch schemes or altering our behavior to prevent susceptibility to victimization, all demonstrate an inherent pre-occupation with risk and perceived danger. The work presented in this paper offers an in-depth socio-criminological analysis focusing on the issue of citizens insecurity, and proposes an original interpretative paradigm emerging from findings on the INNES (Intimate Neighborhood Strengthening) European Project. A presentation of the idiographic and nomothetic motivations and conditions influencing and predicting social fears and insecurities over the last two decades is discussed, with the presentation of the new interpretative model, ‘Social Cobweb Theory’. This model focuses on solidarity and on the strengthening of intimate neighborhood bonds and argues that these aforementioned concepts function as an effective approach in lowering citizens' perceptions of individual insecurities and risk.

College Women’s Perceptions of and Inclination to Use Campus Sexual Assault Resources

The purpose of this study is to explore whether college women’s perceptions of and inclination to use campus sexual assault resources vary as a function of their sexual victimization histories. First, using data from the full sample of female undergraduate students selected from the psychology subject pool ( N = 247), we performed t-tests to analyze whether perceptions of sexual assault as a problem on campus, knowledge of and confidence in campus sexual assault resources, and likelihood of attending a university sexual assault self-defense course differed for victims and nonvictims. Victims indicated significantly less confidence in campus resources and significantly less interest in attending the self-defense course than nonvictims. Second, using data from a subsample of participants ( n = 57) who reported being unlikely to attend the self-defense course, we performed a qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses. Student-reported reasons for not attending the self-defense course were categorized into instrumental barriers such as time and schedule constraints and perceptual barriers such as belief that the self-defense course was unnecessary, with similar response patterns emerging for victims and nonvictims. The results underscore the need for colleges and universities to improve sexual assault service provision for students, especially women with sexual victimization histories.

The Group Dynamics of Women’s Self-Defense Training

The current study examines the role of group interaction in a women's self-defense class. Study methods included individual interviews with women who had completed a college-based women-only self-defense course as well as supplemental observation of group behavior during a mock "attack" simulation class. The unique relationship that develops among women's self-defense classmates seems to improve overall learning and performance due to the group collaboration and vicarious experiences. Results demonstrated that women's self-defense courses offer participants a beneficial and supportive group atmosphere.

Maximizing university students’ motor fitness by implementing a physical education program incorporating martial arts – implicational study

Martial arts are ancient forms of combat, modified for modern sport and exercise. Participation in martial arts classes is growing in popularity, particularly among young people of both sexes, which was confirmed by the research conducted over the last two decades [1,2,3]. Martial arts provide health-promoting and meaningful exercise for millions of practitioners. Training martial arts can increase self-reliance and lead to better overall health and balance as well as an improved sense of mental well-being and numerous benefits to the autonomic nervous and immune systems [4]. Martial arts do not promote aggression and may be used as a treatment modality for young people who are prone to violent behavior [3]. Skills gained when practicing martial arts are very useful in everyday life and should not be associated only with self-defense. Many aspects of combat sports are used in other forms of health training or as an indicator of an individual’s ability to survive in a given environment (such as the ability to fall when losing balance) [5,6]. There are only few studies that have been conducted to gain an understanding of why people participate in martial arts [7,8]. Findings indicate that practitioners of martial arts are motivated differently across the types of martial arts disciplines, competition orientation and past experiences [9]. Self-defense courses, which have been organized for students at the University of Warmia & Mazury in Olsztyn (UWM) since 2005 as a substitute of P.E. lessons, reflect the popularity of such a form of physical activity among young adults. The fact that these classes are of a recreational and voluntary kind attracts a large group of university students who, apart from fulfilling the physical education requirements, are given an opportunity to gain self-defense and combat skills. Although women have been known to train martial arts longer than commonly believed, in the case of the classes held at UWM men constituted an overwhelming majority, which

A Self-Defense Program Reduces the Incidence of Sexual Assault in Kenyan Adolescent Girls

To determine the effect of a standardized 6-week self-defense program on the incidence of sexual assault in adolescent high school girls in an urban slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Population-based survey of 522 high school girls in the Korogocho-Kariobangi locations in Nairobi, Kenya, at baseline and 10 months later. Subjects were assigned by school attended to either a "No Means No Worldwide" self-defense course (eight schools; N = 402) or to a life-skills class (two schools; N = 120). Both the intervention and the life-skills classes were taught in the schools by trained instructors. Participants were administered the same survey at baseline and follow-up. A total of 522 girls (mean age, 16.7 ± 1.5 years; range, 14-21 years) completed surveys at baseline, and 489 at 10-month follow-up. At baseline, 24.5% reported sexual assault in the prior year, with the majority (90%) reporting assault by someone known to them (boyfriend, 52%; relative, 17%; neighbor, 15%; teacher or pastor, 6%). In the self-defense intervention group, the incidence of sexual assault decreased from 24.6% at baseline to 9.2% at follow-up (p < .001), in contrast to the control group, in which the incidence remained unchanged (24.2% at baseline and 23.1% at follow-up; p = .10). Over half the girls in the intervention group reported having used the self-defense skills to avert sexual assault in the year after the training. Rates of disclosure increased in the intervention group, but not in controls. A standardized 6-week self-defense program is effective in reducing the incidence of sexual assault in slum-dwelling high school girls in Nairobi, Kenya.

A Lab Study on Speed of Self-defense Skills of American College Men and Women

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate college students on their speed of performing different types of self-defense skills commonly taught in American university self-defense courses. The results indicated that close defense skills and distance punches are faster than distance kicks in most single skills or combination skills. Women can do most skills as fast as men. The results also indicated that all kicks with back-foot are slower than kicks with front-foot in distance defense. Women need 2.42- 6.12 seconds to escape from all 20 holds, while men need 1.14-5.54 seconds for people who successfully escaped. Escaping from different holds is not as difficult as what most people think. After proper learning and practice, a majority of college women and men can escape from many holds in 1-6 seconds.

In Defense of Self-Defense

Some feminist theorists have argued that emphasizing women's self-defense mistakenly emphasizes women's behavior and choices rather than male aggression as a cause of sexual violence. I argue here that such critiques of self-defense are misguided, and do not sufficiently take into account the ways in which feminist self-defense courses can constitute embodied transformations of the meanings of femininity and rape. While certainly not sufficient to counter a rape culture by themselves, self-defense courses should remain a crucial element in feminist anti-rape activism.

Getting Physical

This article presents ethnographic research on a women's self-defense course and proposes that socially available gender narratives of white femininity are potentially disempowering and victimizing to women. Changes in self-narratives as a result of the course reflect a more powerful self that challenges dominant discourses. The process illustrated in this article consists of reframing victimization, liberating the self, and enabling the body in a transformation of gender and self-narratives that affirm “femininity” while subverting its defining ideologies. What results is a physical agency within which narratives about femininity are reinterpreted and reembodied as powerful instead of vulnerable.