Susan Foss feels confident in the event of a sexual attack. Now concluding a self-defense course, Foss is sure attackers wouldn’t want to deal with the “fighting, screaming target” she can become.
Foss is one of 10 U women enrolled in the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) System on campus. Taught by U police officers, RAD teaches self-defense tactics and risk reduction. It’s been at Brigham Young University for several years already, but only started this semester here after U Sgt. Lynn Rohland had raised enough funds to buy equipment.
“It’s not a martial arts program,” Rohland said. “It’s taking women and showing them they have the ability to defend themselves.”
The class is only available to women. The class targets women with a connection to the U, but is open to anyone from the community.
“It sounded really good to me because I think it’s something everyone could use,” said Foss, an employee at a cancer screening study in Research Park. “I think every woman is at risk and it was convenient because it was on campus and I thought it would be fun.”
The most important lesson Foss learned in the class was just yelling, “No!”
But beyond that, Foss said the physical skills she’s learned would scare off attackers.
The class’s youngest student is 12-year-old Marika Curtis, whose father works at the U. Because she’s so young, she goes with her mother.
“It’s fun because you get to learn self-defense and punch people,” Curtis said.
She has never felt threatened by a predator, but she said she has to learn how to defend herself so she can be prepared.
The class doesn’t just teach defensive maneuvers, but covers all aspects of sexual assault, including dating scenarios, said Det. Victoria Pearson, one of the four U Police Department officers teaching the class. Teaching women to vocalize objections is one of those aspects.
“[Women] feel in some situations they still need to be a lady,” Pearson said.
Only two rapes were reported on campus in 2000, but Pearson is confident many more occur. Because U police suspect many sexual assault victims are afraid of the legal process or talking to the police, they are trained to treat victims more sensitively now.
“Before, a victim would be badgered, that’s not the case [anymore],” she said.
Rape victims might also be disinclined to report because they don’t want their husband or boyfriend to learn about it, Rohland said, or they feel a sense of “self-guilt.”
“Rape doesn’t happen because a woman wears a mini-skirt or is out at night,” Rohland said. “It happens because someone commits a crime.”
A dispatcher for the UUPD, MaryAnne Smith joined the class because its teachers were looking for volunteers to get it started. she even distributed literature about it at her golf club. The class has taught her about her “options.”
“When you’re in trouble, you’re not thinking about your options?you’re scared,” Smith said.
With trained reflexes, though, Smith hopes she and other women who take the class will be able to prevent attackers from victimizing them.
“This is the best program I’ve seen yet as far as self defense for women,” said Kimberly Smith, a senior studying psychology with two years of law enforcement experience. “I would encourage the faculty and instructors to take advantage of it.”
The final RAD class is Thursday, but the next session starts on April 23 and is limited to 20 women. Lifetime enrollment in the class costs $15, which covers the cost of materials and a RAD book each student receives. The Huntsman Center donates space for the class, which is held in the center’s lounge on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information call 585 COPS.