By Valerie Melton

news@joplinglobe.com

If four weeks ago someone told me that my body was a weapon, I would have scoffed at them.

Sure, I’ve seen people break boards with their foreheads or pull things a thousand times their body weight but I am a petite, 5-foot-5-inch, 120-pound young woman. I’m only a threat to small feathered creatures and baby slugs — or so I thought.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Statistics say that one in four women will be a victim of some type of assault during their lifetime. How do I respond to statistics such as these? Rather than being overwhelmed with fear I am alert, equipped and empowered thanks to the training I’ve received as a recent graduate of the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) program.

Sponsored by Missouri Southern State University and instructed by Ken Kennedy, chief of the Missouri Southern police force, the program focuses on preparing young women to think smart, be aware, and act forcefully and confidently in the event that they are in an uncomfortable, potentially dangerous situation.

According to leading studies compiled by the National Network to End Domestic Violence:

• Nearly one in every four women are beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood.

• Approximately 2.3 million people each year in the United States are raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. Women who were physically assaulted by an intimate partner averaged 6.9 physical assaults per year by the same partner.

• The cost of intimate partner violence annually exceeds $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in direct health care expenses. Between one-quarter and one-half of domestic violence victims report that they lost a job, at least in part, due to domestic violence. Women who experienced domestic violence were more likely to experience spells of unemployment, have health problems and be welfare recipients.

I grew up in a home where “ignorance is not bliss” and “knowledge is power.” As I prepare to enter the work force, I don’t know where my travels will take me. I do know, however, that I refuse to become just another statistic. As horror stories of young women being date-raped and wives and girlfriends being assaulted are constantly circulated through the media, there has never been a better time to act.

The course met for three hours once a week for four weeks and I learned that self-defense is not just about learning and practicing kicks, holds and punches. It encompasses understanding the motivations, intentions and thought patterns of a potential attacker.

In addition to learning to use my body as weapon, I also found that my voice is a weapon as well. Did you know that simply yelling “No!” in an authoritative, forceful way is one of the most effective methods to stop a violent attacker?

Preparedness is the key to ending the cycle of physical and emotional domestic violence. While much of being prepared can be achieved by using good old-fashion common sense, it is all about mind over matter. I took the class to counteract my natural tendency to freeze and panic in a stressful situation, others enrolled to find empowerment in themselves.

The most important decision one can make in the effort against domestic violence is the decision to act. Acknowledging the problem, identifying the risks and taking the initiative to protect oneself is the only way to break the cycle of abuse.