As
an IMPACT instructor I teach using Empowerment Self-Defense principles and see
how this positively affects my students. These principles influence how I plan
classes, respond to student questions, and address
prevalent myths and facts about interpersonal violence.
Infusing ESD Principles Into Teaching
ESD
principles guide adaptation and customization of courses based on the
participants enrolled. Adaptations take into account how various aspects of
one’s identity affect: experiences of violence, choices about resistance or
compliance, harm from rape culture, the aftermath of reporting, and obtaining
justice. ESD principles apply to people of all ages and genders, with varying
types of vulnerabilities and/or prior experiences of abuse/trauma/violence,
those with learning differences, various physical disabilities and cognitive
disabilities. Our ability to connect to our participants is enhanced by content
relevance. ESD principles remind us to acknowledge the perspective and
experiences of those who are not in the room - which may differ from those who
are present.
- Space
for self-reflection and critical thinking
Class
participants learn skills and tools such as threat assessment, verbal and
physical resistance. Additionally ESD guided instruction intentionally invites
our participants to consider how their gender, age, ability, appearance, race,
religion, social class, and sexual orientation (among other identity factors)
influence their beliefs and attitudes about violence and their options for
resistance.
Participants
examine their reflexive and internalized beliefs (and where they came from)
regarding resistance and their own power to interrupt violence and boundary
violations. They learn what research points to in terms of which
resistance strategies are effective most of the time and why. Ultimately, in the hands-on component of
class, they connect new knowledge and experience to their own lives. This is
a significant contribution towards reducing the burden of worry, and fear of
helplessness, that narrow people’s lives.
- Space
to let go of self-blame
Self-defense
programs based on empowerment principles reflect on how rape culture influences
who is blamed, who is believed and supported, the challenges of reporting, who
the justice system works for, and who is excused and who is punished.
Making
this explicit in class demonstrates to our students that we appreciate the
decisions they have made for themselves, their range of experiences, and the
choices and strategies they have chosen. It supports letting go of internalized
blame and shame, as we are clear in assigning blame and fault to the
perpetrator.
Violence
is very personal and unfair. Nonetheless, it is important in our teaching to
tie individual experiences to larger social systems that perpetuate this
unfairness. Such connections can lift internal personal burdens about past
experiences and their repercussions. What happened to me was indeed unfair
and was the (predictable and intentional) outcome of biased systems.
- Space
to ask BIG questions
In
classes, children and teenagers often raise BIG questions: Why are people
violent? Who would want to hurt kids? ESD principles help us answer these types
of questions by linking violence to inequality and power. For example, on the
spectrum of violence, we include mean words, put downs, and micro-aggressions
as forms of verbal violence. Students readily generate that put downs are
usually based on looks, ability, race, class, religion, likes and dislikes,
gender or gender non-conformity, etc. (for example, your hair is weird, you got
the worst grade on the math test, your clothes aren’t new or cool, your
religion doesn’t have the “good” holidays, boys don’t like ballet, girls can’t
play basketball.) We witness the weight of these prior negative experiences
being released, as students understand that they were targeted (all or in
part) based on one or more aspects of their identity versus something that they
did wrong or an inherent lack of value as a human being.
- Space
to sort myths and facts
We
reference statistics about crime and about aggressors. ESD programs dispel
myths about the frequency of stranger vs familiar crime, about armed vs unarmed
assault, and intra-vs inter-racial crime. We address the effectiveness of
different strategies of resistance as well as how the research data is
collected and interpreted. By reviewing evidence-based information about
interpersonal violence, we broaden participants understanding of the many forms
violence takes. ESD principles help teachers acknowledge the many purely
personal choices people make to stay safer. ESD classes cover a wide range of
circumstances, depict a variety of different types of abusive behavior, and
teach varied strategies for responding to specific situations. This
customization makes the classes relevant and personal. ESD practitioners
sort myths from facts, directly address the pervasiveness of violence in our
culture, and seek to build empathy.
Carol
Schaeffer, IMPACT and ESD Instructor
