Auburn R.A.D. Program Seeks to Empower Female Students

It started with Harvey Weinstein, and then all the other dominos fell. The men of Hollywood are being exposed for their sexual misconduct, but it didn’t really begin with Harvey Weinstein and it is not limited to Hollywood elites.

Violence against women is a pervasive problem. According to statistics by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) 23% of undergraduate women will experience sexual assault while they are in college.

The Auburn University Department of Campus Safety and Security’s Rape Aggression Defense, or R.A.D., program seeks to educate female students on the best self defence techniques to defend themselves if they were ever to become the target of sexual violence.

The class concludes with a simulated fight where students apply the techniques they learned against a padded officer. It prepares them for attacks that evolve and change in the moment.

Auburn student Cameron Carmello participated in the class and felt it helped her be more alert and prepared. “I work at Pieology and I often find myself walking home alone at night after a long shift.” Said Carmello. “It can be nerve wracking walking past the bars alone at night but the course made me feel like I have the tools to hold my own.”

The class focuses on empowering women both mentally and physically. It trains them to be alert and lessens the fear they have to experience on a day to day basis.

Another female student Elizabeth Turner spoke about the psychological effects of sexual violence and said “It’s something I have to think about often especially now that I am in college. I haven’t taken a self defence class, I feel like if it came to it I could fight off an attacker but I hate that I have to think about that.”

Carmelo continued “One of the helpful things I learned was to hold my keys in my fist so my punch would have extra impact. It also just helped to know that I could be quick and react in the moment. I now know that I could throw the weight of a 200 lbs man off me if I use the right technique.”

In light of current events, more and more women are feeling empowered to speak out about the sexual violence they have experienced in person and on social media as evidenced by the #metoo campaign.

Daphney Portia is a political science major and feels that “I think that all the cases coming up in the media are not surprising. We’ve known this is happening but women are taught to endure a lot. Many of the women subjected to these sexual advances felt voiceless.”

She felt that it was a good step forward but there was a lot more to be done. “I think the current policy aren’t enough to protect potential victims and survivors. Women don’t have the ability to speak out becauses the law doesn’t back them up. If they don’t have the right evidence there is little the law will do for them.”