RAD students express feelings on final simulation
As the final simulation for the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class was about to commence, each participant awaited the opportunity to discover if she had what it took to combat a sexual assailant.
Feelings of apprehension and fear were common among the women and they said thoughts of incompetence pervaded their minds.
“I’m scared,” said Becky Hobbs, a senior majoring in biological engineering. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m kind of excited about kicking a police officer legally.”
Melissa Fryer, a freshman majoring in pre-veterinarian med, said, “I’m terrified.”
Angelie Christensen, a sophomore majoring in photography, said, “I’m kind of nervous. I think the class prepared us very well. I’m just unsure about what I can remember. I’m kind of nervous that I’m not going to remember anything.”
Utah State University police officials and RAD instructors Brad Hansen, Joe Huish and Shane Sessions geared up in fully-padded body suits in preparation of playing the role of “the attacker.”
The women were required to defend themselves against the three assailants with the knowledge and techniques they had acquired over the course of the past seven weeks. The scenario was repeated in three different simulations, with each scenario becoming progressively harder and more intense.
“The first [simulation] is a warm-up, the second one is a little more intense and by the third one you’re ready to go,” Sessions said.
Fryer said, “At first I didn’t know who to go for because they were all surrounding me.”
Christensen said, “It was a total rush. Once you’re in there and fighting, you don’t want to stop. You get out and you just want to get back in again.”
Ashlee Taylor, a senior majoring in psychology, took the RAD course but was unable to participate in the final simulation. Taylor said just watching the women fight back was “an adrenaline rush.”
She said, “I took the class so I know all the techniques and it was really powerful just seeing someone else doing it. It motivates you, you realize ‘I can do that to.’ It motivates you when you see someone you know get out of a situation like that and to know you can get out, too.”
Heather Craig, a senior majoring in marketing, also completed the course but did not participate in the final simulation. Craig said she enjoyed cheering on her fellow classmates.
“I was very impressed and very excited that these girls could use all their power. It was cool that we can take what they taught us and protect ourselves, defend ourselves and use it against them,” Craig said.
RAD instructor Judy Crockett asked the women to put all joking aside for a moment and realize the seriousness of what they had just accomplished.
“This may affect you. You may have flashbacks or nightmares. Don’t hesitate to call me just to talk it out. You survived this, you fought back.”
“You’ve experienced about as close a proximity to a physical assault as can be,” Sessions said. “You can now have empathy for those who go through such an assault.”
Hansen said, “Think about this. You guys just lived, just went through, a physical assault. You lived through it.”
Huish said, “[And] with three attackers, not just one.”
Crockett told the women she saw “instant power” when they were fighting off the attacks.
“You did great, you did really well. I was so dang proud of everybody. You were all using the techniques and the power you girls had, especially when you were yelling ‘no’ … I was just so proud of you,” she said.
Huish said it is rewarding to the instructors to see the women complete the course with confidence, having mastered the techniques.
“It’s neat to see ladies of all age groups defend themselves and be successful. These were hard hits. We wouldn’t have been able to hold on that long if we weren’t padded up. These were really hard hits,” Huish said.