Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Kate Rohdenburg <>]

This is perhaps tangential, but are other campuses/communities having an issue with police arresting women who employ self-defense techniques they've been taught/encouraged to use? Particularly women of color and trans women? Where does this fit into a decision about whether or not self-defense is protective or a set up?

 

Kate Rohdenburg, Program Director

Program Center at 38 Bank Street, Lebanon NH

24-hour Crisis Line: 1-866-348-WISE

Office: (603)448-5922 * Fax: (603)448-2799

www.WISEuv.org * Facebook * Twitter

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of Howard Kallem
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2018 7:16 PM
To: Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r); Adriane Bang
Cc: Melissa Babb; Peters, Sara;
Subject: RE: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

 

I am replying to this with great caution.  The developers of this approach first reported on its success in 2015, and then recently reported again that it has continued to show success over the past several years.  What was their measure of success?  A reduction in the number of assaults.  To my knowledge, this is the ONLY approach that has been proven by research to do this at the postsecondary level.  There are other strategies and approaches that have been shown to increase knowledge and change attitudes, but this is the only one of which I am aware that has been shown to reduce prevalence.  To be clear, other approaches may well reduce prevalence, but none have been proven to do so at the postsecondary level.

 

When this study first came out in 2015, as I recall, it was criticized by some advocates in the US as victim blaming, and shifting the focus from educating men not to perpetrate.  In my opinion (and I recognize I am saying this as a 67 year old White male), at least some of the critics may not have fully understood the nature of the program.  As I understand the program (and I may be mistaken), it is not intended to be a stand-alone program but be part of a broader effort that includes educational efforts directed to men as well as the specific Flip the Switch strategies.  And the Flip the Switch strategies go well beyond standard risk-reduction approaches like "don't leave your drink unattended" and "don't drink from an open container."  And it goes beyond self-defense, although that is certainly a part of it.  It also includes strategies to promote self-esteem and empowerment -- it is okay to say no, you don't have to be polite, you shouldn't have to worry about being unpopular -- it teaches agency and self-respect.  In that respect, along with the self-defense aspects, it is intended to counter the prevailing culture that so many of our students seem to come to college with -- a culture that objectifies them and teaches them to be polite and demure and agreeable...to put their own interests second behind those of the man (if, indeed, they even are able to recognize their own interests).

 

But, as I said, when the study first came out in 2015, many saw it as victim blaming...and I know several schools that decided not to pursue it for that very reason -- they didn't want to have to face that accusation.

 

This is not to say that the program is without problems.  One, that may not be a problem in Canada but could be here, is that the Title IX regulations issued by the Office for Civil Rights generally prohibit single sex education and other programs.  There are exceptions for contact sports and, at least at the elementary and secondary level, sex education.  I suspect this program, which is directed exclusively to female students, wouldn't qualify as sex education.   

 

Just some thoughts....

 

Howie Kallem

Director, Title IX Compliance

________________________________________

From: [] on behalf of Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r) []

Sent: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 4:57 PM

To: Adriane Bang

Cc: Melissa Babb; Peters, Sara;

Subject: Re: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

 

I don’t disagree, Adriane, however it’s easy to underestimate what survivors are capable of. I haven’t taught in years, and I spend most of my time on primary prevention as well as survivor support. I do feel, however, that resistance (because that’s what self-defense is) is an important piece of the larger puzzle.

 

If you read the literature on self-defense for women (thinking specifically of Martha McCaughey and Lisa Speidel), you’ll find that women who have learned these techniques (even in a shorter term class, although you’re correct—the more the better) generally feel more empowered. They are no more likely to make rash decisions than anyone else. And yes, while the freeze response is common, especially if someone is already a survivor, having knowledge of SD has been shown to help women respond earlier in a situation, even before it becomes physically violent. They are less likely to dismiss their own feelings of discomfort and that they have every right to walk out or speak up. We are not socialized to listen to our own internal warning system, which can also lead to the freeze response. This is not victim blaming at all; this is acknowledging that we do not teach our daughters that they have the right to raise hell when they are not being treated well, and that nobody really dies from embarrassment. We deny women their own agency.

 

The research is out there that physical resistance can reduce the level of lethal physical injury, and survivors who used any strategy at all, even if they are sexually assaulted in the end, recover more quickly. We also need to teach in self defense classes that complying in order to survive is not the same as helplessness. Sometimes the choices are dire: resorting to strategies in order not to be injured as much, or to get through it and then resisting after the fact through reporting or political activism.

 

In solidarity,

Claire

 

 

————

Claire N Kaplan, PhD

She, her, hers

Program Director, Gender Violence and Social Change and Men’s Leadership Project Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__womenscenter.virginia.edu&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=vfZ6-fLp48yahzQ0vDSGEkeTRYryhUwqQdaxs6RGBF8&e=>

The Corner Building

1400 University Ave.

PO Box 800588

Charlottesville VA 22908-0588

434-982-2774

List Manager, SAPC

@clairskyk

[cid:EA9E7880-647F-460D-90C3-35CB6AA77F4D]

 

From: Adriane Bang <<mailto:>>

Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 4:41 PM

To: "Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r)" <<mailto:>>

Cc: Melissa Babb <<mailto:>>, Sara Peters <<mailto:>>, Sexual Assault Program Coordinators' Listserv <<mailto:>>

Subject: Re: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

 

Hi all,

I think risk reduction can be a piece of the puzzle in responding to and ending violence, but it is not an area in which I focus. In addition to the many concerns shared here, I would also highlight that a one up program might give folks a false sense of security when we know that folks need lots of practice before a strategy becomes muscle memory and they are able to employ skills.  And, even if they are practiced, a freeze response can still be likely.

 

 

Adriane Bang, LMSW

Director, Gender Equity Center

Boise State University

1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725-1335

Phone: (208) 426-4259

Website: genderequity.boisestate.edu<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__womenscenter.boisestate.edu&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=6r087KK4lIMMUoSuV0e-4ahszOZdRoIeuyahY5831gM&e=>

 

Pronouns: she/her/hers

 

 

On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 10:41 AM, Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r) <<mailto:>> wrote:

As a former self-defense instructor, both through the Southern California Rape Hotline Alliance and RAD systems, I am a huge fan of self-defense for women. From what I’ve read about Flip the Script, that’s essentially what it is. Self-defense is useful far beyond defending oneself against a perpetrator. As a self-defense student many years ago, I found what many women do: that they simply feel more empowered in their lives, and develop a much lower tolerance for all offensive, abusive and generally discriminatory insults we have to deal with on a daily basis. Most students in these classes never need to use what they learned to stop an assault; instead they find themselves speaking up more, calling bulls**t for what it is, and so on. Example: after taking my first class, I quit a toxic job.

 

As an instructor I witnessed quiet women discover strengths they never knew they had, and develop a sense of personal body rights that they were denied. It was endlessly thrilling.

 

The key here is that self-defense programs need to be checked out thoroughly by a local feminist agency to ensure that the instructors:

 

  *   know how to address triggers and give space to survivors if they wish to share stories or talk about their fears

  *   are trauma-informed

  *   allow for extensive discussion about avoiding victim-blaming language and behaviors

  *   include verbal assertiveness training

  *   Do not employ scare tactics

 

Plus, the SD program has women instructors available (even if they aren’t teaching that particular class), and are willing to establish a collaborative relationship local SA/DV agencies. Some local dojos offer self-defense classes but do not have a way to offer the kind of space for conversation/discussion and assertiveness training, etc.  Collaboration with a local SA/DV agency is a great way to do this.

 

These are just a few pointers. There are other SD instructors on this list, so if anyone has any other suggestions, please chime in.

 

Good luck!

Claire

————

Claire N Kaplan, PhD

She, her, hers

Program Director, Gender Violence and Social Change and Men’s Leadership Project Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__womenscenter.virginia.edu&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=vfZ6-fLp48yahzQ0vDSGEkeTRYryhUwqQdaxs6RGBF8&e=>

The Corner Building

1400 University Ave.

PO Box 800588

Charlottesville VA 22908-0588

434-982-2774

List Manager, SAPC

@clairskyk

[cid:C20AE57A-2C4D-4931-A404-62E500190890]

 

From: <<mailto:>> on behalf of Melissa Babb <<mailto:>>

Reply-To: Melissa Babb <<mailto:>>

Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 7:51 AM

To: Sara Peters <<mailto:>>

Cc: Sexual Assault Program Coordinators' Listserv <<mailto:>>

Subject: Re: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

 

I will start by saying that I had not heard of this program until just now, so I don't know everything it covers. One question I'd want to know would be how it addresses tonic immobility and/or if the survivor is incapacitated due to drugs/alcohol or can not resist/fight back for other reasons.

 

On Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 10:13 PM, Peters, Sara <<mailto:>> wrote:

Hi All,

 

Some of our Title IX people would like to bring Flip the Script (http://www.uwindsor.ca/sexual-assault/FlipTheScript<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.uwindsor.ca_sexual-2Dassault_FlipTheScript&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=GEO2_qm3tqzQMbV77L9sq5BqGinV3mJhAis5o7l8Yqk&e=>)  to campus and I have some concerns. It was featured in a NYTimes article <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2018_05_30_opinion_women-2Dstop-2Dcampus-2Drape.html-3Faction-3Dclick-26pgtype-3DHomepage-26clickSource-3Dstory-2Dheading-26module-3Dopinion-2Dc-2Dcol-2Dright-2Dregion-26region-3Dopinion-2Dc-2Dcol-2Dright-2Dregion-26WT.nav-3Dopinion-2Dc-2Dcol-2Dright-2Dregion&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=-PgcDBfatjIaoDABuJUyUo3kuR9auT0IR4nmRQ7mOi4&e=>  that made everyone here very excited. I would love some feedback if anyone has looked into this program. Best, Sara

 

 

 

Sara K. Peters

Director of Center for Women and Gender Equity University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University Center 351A

615 McCallie Avenue

Department 1801

Chattanooga, TN 37403

Phone: 423-425-5605

Fax: 423-425-5649

 

Pronouns: she, her, hers

(For more information about inclusive language)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__everydayfeminism.com_2015_10_language-2Din-2Dtrans-2Dactivism_&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=R3Qyqd37rbIkahXMmR0sUwQen2Vrf3_QCZK2deq28PU&e=>

 

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

 

~ A. A. Milne

 

 

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--

Melissa Babb, Psy.D.

Interpersonal Violence Coordinator

Licensed Psychologist #4512

North Carolina State University Counseling Center

919.515.2423

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