Self protection programme helps to "dissipate the fear"

A programme providing self defence/protection courses for young women who have experienced domestic violence has been piloted by the Women's Self Defence Network Wahine Toa (WSDN) in collaboration with Women's Refuge. 

Funded by the Vodafone Foundation, the Violence Prevention Programme was delivered to 54 women aged between 17 and 24 years who were clients of Women's Refuge between February and April 2013.

Researchers Dr Elaine Mossman (independent research consultant) and Associate Professor Jan Jordan (Victoria University of Wellington) evaluated the programme against its aims. The evaluation included perspectives from the programme participants, refuge workers and the programme instructors. It reported statistically significant improvements in participants' confidence to perform the ten key programme objectives. This included in the areas self-identified by participants as being their greatest need:

• confidence in their ability to stop an attack
• to use physical strategies to keep themselves safe
• to use their voice to stay safe
• to make good choices to stay safe.

One programme participant said "This knowledge and this course has helped to dissipate the fear that if I was attacked I wouldn’t know what to do".

The reports says, "Increases in participants’ confidence that they are able to recognise abuse, identify risky situations, make good choices to stay safe and use self-defence strategies, together with increased likelihood of disclosing abuse and seeking help and support, suggest the programme is effective in increasing the likelihood of preventing and/or ensuring early intervention to stop the re-victimisation of these young women in the future."

The evaluation also found that programme instructor capacity in working effectively with high risk women increased. It also said national and local collaborative links between the Women's Self Defence Network Wahine Toa and Women's Refuge were strengthened, with each seeking to learn from the different specialist skills and experience each brought to the initiative.

Media:

Self defence course shows 'impressive results', Voxy, 17.11.2013