Women going abroad should take several steps, both before and while they travel, to protect their safety.
Sgt. Joan Fiesta of the University Police said she recommends that women going abroad take a self-defense course. She said the University Police Department offers a course, called Rape Aggression Defense System, or RAD, aimed at enhancing basic self-defense techniques and decreasing reaction time.
“We hit situational awareness hard because that is actually 90 percent of self-defense,” Fiesta said.
She said people who have not been trained in self-defense pause briefly when put in a dangerous situation. Training aims to make self-defense instinctual.
“It’s really a mind-set,” Fiesta said.
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She added that though no classes are scheduled for the remainder of the semester, groups who wish to schedule a course may call the police department to make arrangements.
Pat Morey, director of the Women’s Resources Center, suggested women planning to travel abroad take a self-defense course.
Speaking at a women’s safety abroad workshop at the Study Abroad Office, Morey said women need to know how to utilize verbal self-defense. She said the top three words a person in trouble should yell are “stop,” “no” and “police.” Morey added that women going abroad should familiarize themselves with these words before traveling. She also said the majority of a woman’s strength is in her lower body, so women should focus on using their legs when defending themselves. Women should choose self-defense moves they are comfortable with and can perform confidently, she said.
“Go for it, don’t be shy about it,” Morey said.
In self-defense, she said, the main point is to get away.
Erika Ryser, associate director of the Study Abroad Office, also said gender relationships are not shared across cultures and cultural norms differ from place to place. For example, though it is common to smile at strangers in the U.S., it may be uncommon or even unacceptable to do so in other cultures.
Ryser also recommends packing lightly.
“I only pack as much as I can pick up by myself and move to a new location easily,” she said.
