A safer place is where each participant
- is treated as an important part of the classroom community and members of marginalized groups do not face mainstream stereotypes or are marginalized
- can freely and fully participate
- is welcomed regardless of gender identity or expression, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultural background, religious affiliation, age, or physical or mental ability
- is treated with respect and dignity.
Elements
of a safer self-defense training space
·
Introductions
of instructors establish competence and compassion, such as providing information, word choices, and storytelling
to convey:
ü Skills to teach
self-defense
ü Classroom
management skills
ü Ability to
support a range of emotions and issues that may arise
ü Flexibility
ü Compassion for
and acceptance of others
·
Ground
rules that make expectations public and clear, such as
ü Confidentiality
ü Treat self and
others with respect
ü This is a
community where no one is isolated, told what to do ignored or judged
ü Being fully
present
ü Active and
nonjudgmental listening
·
Introductions
of participants establish that we are creating a community that supports each
person having a voice and choices about how to express themselves within
specific guidelines, such as participants:
ü have options and
choices about how to present themselves, not a free-for-all or no options
ü have options and
avenues about how to express their concerns
ü are asked to
speak from one’s own experience, not expressing their opinions (serial testimony)
·
Establish
violence as a social issue, not an individual problem, such as
ü Reference to
ways that cultural values and norms support violence, inequalities in
experiences of violence and responses to self-defense
ü Making it clear
that responsibility for violence is the responsibility of perpetrators and
those who ignore it; not the responsibility of targets of violence
ü Making it clear
that there are no absolutes or formulas for self-defense or only one way to
respond to any situation because violence arises in a social context and people
are targeted differently as are their efforts at self-defense
ü People will not
be blamed or belittled for choices they have made or will make
Martha Thompson & Alena Schaim
2015 NWMAF Empowerment Self-Defense Model Course
2015 NWMAF Empowerment Self-Defense Model Course
