As part of a university initiative to reduce risk and promote safety, 10 Northern Illinois University employees were recently added to an interdisciplinary team when they were certified by Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) to teach women’s self-defense.
The new instructors represent Intercollegiate Athletics, Human Resources, Health Enhancement and the NIU Police Department, adding to the already established NIU team of RAD instructors from the Division of Research and Innovative Partnerships, Founder’s Memorial Library, Anthropology Department and both the City of DeKalb and NIU Police departments.
The NIU team presents the RAD program two ways. The RAD seminar is conducted by request in 12 one-hour sessions, which progressively teach new material and can be broken into different blocks depending on the availability of the group. Any NIU student group or faculty department can request a RAD program. The second option is a credit course in the Kinesiology Department through the NIU College of Education. The class is typically offered during the last eight weeks of each semester.
Both options teach the female participants personal empowerment trough self-defense which gradually evolves through the following:
- Education;
- Dependency on Self;
- Decision Making Responsibility; and
- Self Realization of Physical Power.
There are four components of personal safety: risk awareness, risk reduction, risk recognition and risk avoidance. These four aspects represent 90% of self-defense. The other 10% is the physical aspect. The ten new instructors geared up in scenarios to test their new skills.
The Violence Against Women Act has brought national attention to troubling statistics. One in three women is the victim of a sexual assault. One in five women is the victim of attempted or completed sexual assault while in college. These statistics show the importance of educating women hidden risks and how to stay safe.
All women are eligible to participate in the program. Each RAD participant is provided a manual. The manual is their ticket to free lifetime return and practice at any RAD basic program nationwide.
Human Resource Services will host an informational presentation at noon Wednesday, December 10, in the Blackhawk Annex of the Holmes Student Center. This informational will determine NIU’s staff interest in conducting a RAD seminar and planning the dates.
The NIU Department of Public Safety coordinates RAD at NIU. You can learn more about NIU’s RAD program online.
