An Innovative Outreach Program:

Personal Safety and Self-Defense Training/Group Counseling for

Women with a History of Trauma

Lisa Weinberg, Ph.D., Montclair State University

Karen Chasen, JD, Prepare Inc./IMPACT

Childhood sexual abusePhysical abuseAssaultRapeRelationship violence

History of Trauma

Research on female students with a history of trauma

Statistics of students on campus with a history of trauma

Research on the effectiveness of self- defense training for this population

Rationale for Outreach Program

Women with a history of trauma: Are more likely than other women to be victims of

some type of assault or abuse Frequently blame themselves for their victimization Often don’t have the confidence to assert

themselves or physically defend themselves or believe they have the right to advocate for themselves

Are less likely to attend a more traditional self-defense course taught by male police officers since they may not feel it is a safe place to deal with the emotional issues inherent in this type of training

Research on Female Students with a History of Trauma

Decreased self-efficacyDecreased self-esteemPoor body imageShame/self-blame about trauma historyPTSD symptomsDifficulty with assertivenessDecreased academic success

Research on Issues Related to Students with a History of Trauma

Approximately 16 % of students seen for an intake evaluation at CAPS reported a history that includes an unwanted sexual experience

Approximately 33% of these students reported a history of harassing, controlling and/or abusive behavior from another person

Statistics of Students with a History of Trauma

Increase in personal safety skills Increase in feelings of self-efficacy Improvement in perceptions of one’s body Decreased psychological distress Increased assertiveness in relationships Feelings of empowerment Decreased shame and self-blame Improvement in self-confidence Decreased PTSD symptoms Decreased feelings of vulnerability, fear & anxiety

Research on Effectiveness of Self-Defense Training for this Population

Recruitment and screening of participants

Structure of the programContent of the programResearch component

Development and Implementation of the Program

All-campus emails and flyersCollaborated with University Health

Center, Women’s Center, Women and Gender Studies Program, University Police Department, Dean of Students

Psychoeducation about program for all CAPS staff

CAPS website, other MSU websites

Recruitment

30-45 minute group screening 45-60 minute clinical intake

Criteria for inclusion:• 18+ year old female MSU student• History of trauma• Psychologically stable (not in crisis)• In individual therapy or agreed to work with an

individual therapist at CAPS or in the community

Screening for Participants

Group #1: 90 minute group session to help students prepare for the self-defense class (discuss confidentiality, possible retriggering, supports, coping mechanisms, crisis resources)Groups #2-7: 3 hour personal safety/self-defense class followed by a 1-hour group counseling component Group #8: 90 minute group session to process their experiences and impact of the program

Structure of the Program

Setting the contextThreat assessmentThreat managementVerbal strategies and scriptsPhysical resistance strategies

Content of the Program

Where self-defense training fits into the spectrum of violence preventionGendered violence and rape cultureFacts and myth bustingPeople are assaulted differently: how college-aged women are targetedResistance is always a choice – NOT a requirement

Setting the Context

Environment: Reading situations Behavior: Reading people’s actions and words Context: Does behavior/situation match the

environment and/or the relationship Instincts: • Tuning into gut instincts• Avoiding denial, rationalization,

minimization, excuse-making or justification• Addressing bias and stereotyping as non-

useful ways to judge people and situations

Threat Assessment

Awareness and avoidance strategiesResponding with your own body language

and non-verbal cues• Organizing your body• Managing stress reactions with breath

and grounding strategies• Feeling present in your body and aware of

your body position, facial expression, eye contact• Tone, volume and inflection in your voice

Threat Management

3 boundary-setting optionsNegotiationDe-escalationLyingBondingAccessing help of allies, bystanders and others

Verbal Strategies

High and low levels of threatPeople you know and people you don’t knowConsent and navigating levels of intimacyAbusive and unwelcome behavior (by

intimates, friends, family, work colleagues)

Scripts

Potential situations: Where you see the problem coming (persuasion

predator) Where you don’t see the problems coming (power

predator)Context: People you know People you don’t knowLocation: Public spaces Private spaces

Variables in Using Physical Resistance

Ability to be deployed when adrenalized

Learned in a short period of timeNot reliant on brute strength or a high level of precision to be effective

Physical Resistance Strategies: Selection Criteria

Strikes with palm to throat/under chin, to groin

Strikes to eyes with handStrikes with elbow to head and solar plexusStrikes with knees (lower thigh) to groin

and headStrikes with heel and headUsing hips, leverage, and strikes to deal

with being pinned

Physical Resistance Strategies: Techniques

Intersection of rigid gender roles and vulnerability to both being a target and being a perpetrator

Pervasiveness of “blame the victim” language Correlation between being under the influence

and sexual violence (perpetrator and target Noting the differences in ability to access self-

defense based on race, class, ability and immigration status

Understanding the barriers to reporting and accessing help

Rape Culture: The Cultural Context for Gendered Violence

VoluntaryIRB approvalParticipants signed consent formsResearch measures administered through pre and post testing (three times)• At the beginning of group #1• After group #8• 5 months after program completion

Research Component of the Program

Background QuestionnairePost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ChecklistInterpersonal Self-Efficacy ScaleSelf-Defense Self-Efficacy Scale

Research Measures

Roles of the self-defense trainers and the therapist

Debriefing after each session by the facilitators Challenges faced by the participants and the facilitatorsBenefits for the participants

Experience of Providing this Program on a College Campus

Teach personal safety and self-defense skills through demonstrations, drills and role-plays

Create scenarios that range from verbal harassment to realistic assault situations

Teach students new responses to threatening situations and how to manage adrenalized reactions

Create a safe environment Provide psychoeducation on interpersonal

violence, risks of victimization & predatory patterns

Roles of the Self-Defense Trainers

Demonstrate techniques – act as a role model for the students and provide opportunities for observational learning

Provide support to all the students by being present and an active participant in the class

Provide as-needed support to individual students through grounding, reassurance and assistance with re-engagement in the class

Roles of the Therapist: In the Self-Defense Class

Provide psychoeducation on trauma reactions

Create a safe and supportive environmentHelp students to identify triggers in class and

develop a plan to work through triggers that may be activated in class

Encourage students to develop a support system in the class and to utilize their support system outside (therapist, family, friends etc.)

Help students to process their reactions in class

Roles of the Therapist: In Group Counseling

45 minute phone conference between self-defense instructor and therapist after each session to do the following:Process what happened in classTherapist reports to instructor about group

counseling Plan for the content of the next sessionDiscuss the level of support needed overall and

for individualsPlan to intervene as needed with various

participants

Debriefing After Each Session

To come to class despite anxiety – not using avoidance as a coping mechanism

Staying present while facing painful memories and dealing with stressful situations (instead of dissociation or flashbacks)

Managing shame and distress at having strong emotional reactions to class material in the early part of the class

Accessing voice under stress, titrating tone, volume, inflection

Feeling that you have the right to protect yourself Managing co-morbid problems (e.g. physical health,

financial, dysfunctional families, contact with aggressors, academic issues, unhealthy eating and sleep issues)

Challenges Faced by the Participants

Making sure participants were ready for the group and had support from an individual therapist

Creating a safe environment Encouraging the participants to stay with it even

when they wanted to give up Coping with participants who dissociated in class

and had flashbacks Learning each person’s unique learning style and

how they best like to be coached and supported Being aware of more subtle dynamics between

participants and between each participant and team member

Challenges Faced by the Facilitators

Reduction of PTSD Symptoms: Experience fewer nightmares and flashbacks Feel safer in the world Become connected to others in a healthy way Not feel ashamed of the past, not blame

themselves, not feel damaged Have better functioning overall – fewer missed

classes or work days

Benefits for the Participants

Increase in Their Own Agency: Recognize and deal with inappropriate behaviors Feel more self-confident and empowered to stand

up for themselves Know they have the right to protect themselves Know how to use their voices and set boundaries Able to use direct verbal communication Develop effective coping mechanisms

Benefits for the Participants

Improvement in Social Functioning and General Well-Being: Feel less isolated, alone and misunderstood Become more comfortable dating again Cope better with loss Appreciate their role in their healing process Develop a deeper appreciation for the dynamics of

what happened to them and what role society and culture played in that

Experience a transfer of skills to all aspects of life – able to take on new challenges

Benefits for the Participants

The pre and post data from the surveys were analyzed and the results were the following:

Significant decrease in PTSD symptoms based on the results of the PCL Checklist.

Significant increase in interpersonal self-efficacy based on the results of the Interpersonal Self-Efficacy Scale.

Significant increase in self-defense self-efficacy based on the results of the Self-Defense Self-Efficacy Scale.

Results of the Research Surveys

“The best part of this group was not only the physical self-defense and verbal lessons, but the amazing women in the group. It really was eye-opening to see how I am not alone. Even though I knew I wasn’t alone, the fact that other women who went through the same or similar situations were standing next to me, supporting me and each other, really made the difference. Many women of the group have trust issues, myself included, but I felt that we finally found a place where no judgment existed – a trust that was immediately built because of our past. I know the knowledge I’ve obtained and bonds created will last for a lifetime.”

Quote From One Woman

To provide an example of the self-defense skills taught in this class

Role Play

Brecklin, L.R. (2004). Self-defense/assertiveness training, women’s victimization history, and psychological characteristics. Violence Against Women, 10, 479-497.

Cermele, J.A. (2004). Teaching resistance to teach resistance: The use of self-defense in teaching undergraduates about gender violence. Feminist Teacher, 10 (1), 1-15.

Fraser, K.L. & Russell, G.M. (2000). The role of the group in acquiring self-defense skills: Results of a qualitative study. Small Group Research, 31, 397-423.

Hollander, J. (2004). “I can take care of myself”: The impact of self-defense training on women’s lives. Violence Against Women, 10, 205-235.

Rosenblum, G.D. & Taska, L.S. (2014). Self-defense training as a clinical intervention for survivors of trauma. Violence Against Women, 20(3), 293-308.

References

Special Issue: Self-Defense Against Sexual Assault. Volume 20, Number 3, March 2014

Violence Against Women: An International and

Interdisciplinary Journal

Thanks to a Community Action Grant from American Association for University Women (AAUW) I was able to bring this program to MSU.

Thanks to Katrina Maurer, MSU graduate student in the M.A. Counseling Program for her assistance with data entry and data analysis.

Special Thanks

For more information about this outreach program or for a copy of this presentation, please contact Lisa Weinberg at Montclair State University:

weinbergl@mail.montclair.edu

For more information about the personal safety/self-defense program, please contact Karen Chasen:

prepareinc@verizon.netwww.prepareinc.com

www.facebook.com/PrepareInc

Contact Information