Campus, News

Female students enroll in self-defense training

While teaching sexual education to high school students last year, College of Communication junior Jeanie Downey learned one in four college women are sexually assaulted in college.

“That number is simply not acceptable,” she said. “I wanted to know how to defend myself if someone tried to mug me or sexually assault me.”

Downey’s response to the statistics was enrolling in Boston University’s Rape Aggression Defense class in Fall 2011.

The rising popularity of self-defense and RAD classes among female students reflects a growing sense of awareness about violent crime and how to protect themselves.

BUPD Sargeant Jeff Burke, who instructs the RAD class, said the main goals of the program are to educate women about criminal behavior and how to prevent it.

“[RAD teaches] a basic line of self-defense, and it’s designed specifically [for] women, so that they’re not forced to take a men’s kickboxing class,” Burke said.

The Fitness & Recreation Center offered BU’s first RAD courses in Fall 2011. The 20-student one-credit class and 30-student noncredit class filled to capacity.

Burke said BU students are at higher risk of being victims of street crimes due to the urban setting, citing crimes on Bay Stay Road and Cummington Street from the fall.

Downey, a veteran of the RAD program, said it is the most realistic program for college students.

“RAD talks about being safe while at parties, knowing your surroundings, personal space and types of sexual assault,” she said. “RAD offered me more than the average boxing class.”

Female students also turned to local businesses around campus, particularly boxing rings, for self-defense and fitness training.

“I started boxing to make my exercise routine a little bit more exciting and to learn some self-defense,” said Malia Moses, a COM freshman. “I find it helpful to know some self-defense tactics to feel more self-sufficient and comfortable, though I have not personally ever had to use my acquired skills, thank God.”

College of Arts and Sciences senior Nessa Mashayekh joined The Ring,, located at 971 Commonwealth Ave. She did not seek self-defense training, but said she liked the workout.

“I don’t know how realistic [boxing] would be for self-defense on the streets of Allston, but I definitely feel stronger,” she said.

Mashayekh said besides the benefit of a good workout, she feels safer staying out late in cities such as Boston.

John Hazard, owner of The Ring and a former women’s soccer coach, said his background gives him incentive to work with women.

“Because of my background, we protect women,” he said. “We run a really clean club.”

According to The Ring’s website, 40 percent of its members are female.

Hazard said the club has worked to build its female clientele over the last eight years. This year, he said, 50 percent of members are women.

“This year so far is off the charts,” he said.

Boxing offers a realistic but effective set of self-defense skills, Hazard said.

“One of the major things about boxing is that it’s the most practical form of self-defense,” Hazard said. “The stuff you see in the movies, it’s just not practical in the real world.”

Michelle Weiser, a spokeswoman for the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism, said women at BU have plenty of reasons to practice self-defense techniques.

“We live in an environment where people party and get drunk on weekends and typically head to Allston, which tends to be breeding grounds for bros looking for action with anyone they can get their hands on,” Weiser, a COM senior, said.

Weiser said women should not have to learn self-defense, but it’s an important skill to have, considering the dangers.

“I think it’s the community’s job to raise awareness about why self-defense is even necessary in the first place,” she said.

Downey said after her training in the RAD program she felt prepared to defend herself if someone were to attack her.

“It’s extremely important that all women know self defense,” she said. “I can only hope that if I was ever attacked, what I learned in RAD would help me defend myself. Female students should take RAD or any other self-defense course so they can protect themselves.”

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2 Comments

  1. Would be nice to not gender the spokesperson of the CGSA and especially not to do so incorrectly (spokesman??)

  2. Uh, BU offered RAD classes long before 2011…I took one in 2007 or 2008, I believe, and it had been going on for awhile before that. They held them on Babcock St…Dean Elmore even came to a class.