A Canadian study has resulted in the development of a sexual assault resistance training program to help women identify dangerous situations and escape before they occur. The program successfully cut the risk of rape in half, suggesting that it is more effective than reading brochures to increase awareness.
An earlier study found that up to 25 percent of university students had been victims of completed or attempted rape. Among college women, nine of 10 were raped by their acquaintances. Sadly, less than five percent had the courage to report the incident to the police, although many were able to reveal such assaults to friends.
Researchers at the University of Windsor spent 10 years developing the training program that includes four three-hour sessions designed to help women learn and practice risk assessment, overcome fear, use verbal and physical self-defense, and learn about their rights.
The researchers recruited 893 female students from three universities and divided them into two groups: one was enrolled in the training program while the other was given brochures that are often handed out to university students. After the one-year follow-up period, those who were in the training program reported 43 percent fewer completed rapes and 63 percent fewer attempted rapes compared to those in the study who received brochures.
"What this shows us is that, while we wait for effective programs for men or for cultural shifts in attitudes to happen, there is something practical we can do to give young women the tools they need to better protect themselves from sexual assault," Charlene Senn, study author and a professor of Psychology and Women's Studies, said in a press release.
The study was published in the June 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
