RAD teaches, demonstrates safety

According to FBI projections, one in every three women are sexually assaulted during their lifetime and one forcible rape occurs in the United States every seven minutes.

Each year, approximately 90,000 forcible rapes are reported to the police. But it is estimated that 90 percent of all rapes and attempted rapes are not reported at all.

It is because of these terrifying statistics that Utah State University police officials have coupled with the Logan City Police Department to teach women to defend themselves against would-be assailants in a seven week Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class offered through USU.

“What we need to be teaching women is how to defend themselves, when it is appropriate to defend themselves, and what force is appropriate to use,” RAD instructor Shane Sessions said.

“What [RAD] can offer you is the necessary skills and tools to protect yourself under every situation. There are very few programs out there teaching women these things today,” Sessions said to the female-only class.

Starting about two years ago, the RAD class features an hour of in-class learning of statistical data, technique and prevention methods, followed by an hour of hands-on, defensive coordination techniques, which jointly provides women “with a tool belt with instructions on how to use the tools so you’ve got every tool necessary to succeed under every given situation,” Sessions said.

“The self defense strategies we will teach you are designed to avoid or break away from an abduction,” RAD instructor Joe Huish said, in preparation for the hands-on portion of the class.

One of the obstacles RAD instructors face is breaking the age-old myth women are weak and helpless, and instilling in the women who take the seven week course they have the power to defend themselves, Sessions said.

Statistics taken from a Stanford University study have shown women who are “forceful about resisting a would-be rapist are not likely to be raped and are no more likely to be injured than those who resist weakly or not at all,” Huish said.

Sessions cautioned the women in the class to avoid being too trustful of those they associate with.

“Be careful who you trust,” he said. “Don’t put yourself in a situation where you could be a victim because you are with someone you know. Be careful what you do with who you trust.”

Sessions outlined for the class the National versus Utah versus Cache Valley’s statistics on sexual assailants. In the nation, Sessions said, 70 to 85 percent of all sexual assaults are not committed by a stranger, but by an acquaintance or a friend. In Utah, the numbers are even higher, with an 85 to 90 percent of sexual assaults committed by an acquaintance. Cache Valley’s statistics show 95 to 100 percent of sexual assailants are an acquaintance of the victim, Sessions said.