Rob Babcock, IMPACT Chicago Instructor and Board Member

Rob Babcock came to IMPACT Chicago in 1999, determined to “make a difference in preventing violence against women.” In addition to his work as an Instructor and as an Instructor Trainer, he has served on IMPACT Chicago’s Board of Directors for more than ten years. “I like working on the ‘front lines’ of the movement to prevent violence against women,” he says. “I enjoy thinking that, after a student leaves a class I have helped to teach, she is more confident and capable of defending herself.”

One of the most effective aspects of IMPACT, he feels, is that it teaches practical, safe self-defense tools designed around the innate strengths of women and girls.

When he’s not donning a mugger helmet, Rob works as an educational administrator. He also pursues his recently-discovered passion for theatre. Over the past 4 ½ years, he has performed in approximately fifteen plays, and he’s “always looking for more.”


Being an ally and advocate for women is deeply rewarding for Rob. “In working for IMPACT, I gain much more than I give,” he says. And his ultimate goal? “I’d like for there to be a day in the near future when no one knows what a rape whistle was used for.” Rob was interviewed by Amy Voege, IMPACT grad and board member