By Lisa Lynch

Close your eyes. Now say the word self-defense out loud. What images appear in your mind? Do you picture men in the standard black and white karate uniforms practicing martial arts? Or, how about women standing in a crowded gym learning physical techniques they can use on possible perpetrators?

“People assume that self-defense can only be physical,” said Susan Crawford, advocate of self-defense for women at the Behavioral Center in Bowling Green. While physical defense does play a big part in self-defense strategies, it would not be complete without verbal defense and mental awareness.

"When looking for a comprehensive self-defense workshop, it is important to look for one that will focus on both mental, verbal and physical aspects," she said.

Women ask her if she has ever been in a situation where she had to use verbal and mental awareness as a defense. Her response? "Everyday."

"Women need to take back their lives by being secure with themselves and by standing up for what they believe in," Crawford said.

Women can take back their lives by learning to how to use their voices in a society that has silenced them she said.

They have difficulty verbalizing their opinions in fear that they will offend someone. Silence is a way to avoid uncomfortable and confrontational situations.

"Your opinions are yours and you do not need to apologize for them," she said.

Crawford said women also have difficulty using their voices as a form of defense in everyday situations because they lack practice using it.

If women use it, they will know what their voice sounds like and how their body reacts in uncomfortable situations. They will have a better chance of defending themselves against a possible perpetrator and be less likely to freeze up. "Women need to hear themselves yell," Crawford said.

Sarah Cullen, a sophomore, attended one of Crawford’s self-defense workshops in December. "I am a lot more aware of my surroundings and I find myself speaking up more to voice my opinions," she said. "I really like how Susan used everyday examples as ways to practice self-defense." Sophomore Melissa Chambers, said she left Crawford’s workshop with a new attitude. She evaluates situations more closely and when she finds herself not speaking up she questions herself by asking, "Should I speak up?"

Chambers told Crawford that she avoided confrontations. "What if I’m walking to the car and I have the feeling that someone is following me so I turn around and yell or confront him and it turns out he is following me because his car is right next to mine?" Chambers said.

Crawford said it is important to pay attention to your intuition. "Your safety is more important than appearing foolish."

The basic elements of verbal self-defense are to first identify the problem, then negotiate a form of consent. It is important to avoid debates, backtracking and apologizing, Crawford said.

“Always use directives. Say, ‘I don’t want to do that,’ instead of, ‘Would you be mad if I didn’t do that’?... Become a broken record if you have to,” Crawford said. “Do whatever it takes to get your point across. Get loud and make it a public issue.”

Crawford said research indicates that yelling is the best response to an attack because it may interrupt the attacker’s sense of control. Yelling is our best weapon, she said.

Mental awareness is also an important part of self-defense. Crawford said women need to be aware of their surroundings and know how their bodies react in certain situations. For example, if a person walks down the street with her head down because she feels depressed she needs to understand why she is feeling this way. Did she just fail a test? Is she fighting with her friend?

“This is not to say that people should ignore their feelings, but rather become more aware of the message they are presenting to society by the way they carry themselves," Crawford said.

Some important strategies are to carry yourself with a good posture with spine straight, shoulders back, arms free and head up, to present yourself with confidence and a strong manner by walking with an even stride, to be aware (not afraid) of your surroundings, to make eye contact with other people you pass or encounter, and to avoid passive behavior like giggling, looking away, and acting nervous, Crawford said.

Deidra Bennett, victim advocate at the Women’s Center, said it is important for women to understand that they can practice mental awareness, but it does not guarantee they will never be targets of an assault.

"A perpetrator is very skilled at gaining control of a situation and it is impossible for women to be on guard emotionally and physically at all times," Bennett said. "I am personally sick of people always expecting women to be alert, and told to protect themselves or they could be the next victim. I find these statements equivalent to, ‘Well if you hadn’t worn that short skirt’ . . . or ‘If you hadn’t been drinking."

Crawford feels it is important to understand that self-defense is using all of the senses to take care of oneself. "Yes, it is thinking before putting oneself into any situation but it is not a feeling of paranoia," Crawford said. "Paranoia is not natural but the feeling of defending oneself and one’s beliefs should be natural."

As for prevention, Crawford said the secret lies in working together by educating males and females about the issues of violence against women, especially sexual assault and domestic violence. “Men and women need to be educated on ways to stop violence and about the ways to respect women as equals, not as targets,” she said.

"I guess by teaching women self-defense we are trying to make the act of fighting back normative for women,” Crawford said, “and of course we all have hopes that women, at one point in time, no longer need to fight back, and that there is respect shown to all; women, children, and minorities.”

Spring 2002 Contents

Laptop Mania

My BGSU Web Portal

Remembering the Silent Victims

Defending Yourself

Heeding the Call

Arthur Andersen and BGSU

Extra Income

Buying Better Eye$ight

Random Humor

Experimenting with Stereotypes

Women vs. Men

Stressed Out

Interracial Dating