PERCEPTION ABOUT SELF DEFENSE AND WOMEN TRAINING FOR SELF PROTECTION

This paper was made from my master thesis entitled “Perception about self-defense and women self-defense training”. The study was conducted in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The main objective of the research was a comparison of the strategies which self-defense trained and untrained girls used to attempt for their self-protection in order to reduce the risk of violence. The study ﬁnds out the eﬀectiveness of self-defense training towards women’s self-protection. Non random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The study used statistical techniques of analysis. The study constitute 120 respondents falling in the age range-range 18-30 years. The ﬁndings support the hypothesis that women who take self-defense training are better equipped with physical and mental skills which allows her to defend herself from assailant than a woman who did not have training. Self-defense training, increased conﬁdence, self-eﬃciency in women and reduce the chances of victimization.


INTRODUCTION
Every woman around the globe has self-defense and personal protection concern because of violence against women, both corporeal and intimate which is an institutional setback that remains embedded in our society which needs attention at both personal and community level (Weitlauf. et al., 2000).Now women are deliberately refusing to the mistreatment and aggression from their families, husband, boyfriends, strangers (Schneider and Jordan, 1978).For these motives, women learn diverse assault avoidance programs such as carrying weapons, executing crime prevention strategies and self-defense skills.
Women experience more of violence than those of men.Hollander (2010) observed in her study that 75% students had experienced about an intimate victimization, violence, and an oppression while ten percent confide any prior physical victimization due to their enrollment in self-defense classes.Brecklin (2004) stated that women are more likely to involve in self-protection strategies due to their experiences of the different form of violence and oppression in both childhood and adult intimate, physical and emotional violence and tyranny.Violence residues different psychological and physical effects on women's lives.In order to avoid being victimized, women should learn to limit their mobility and depend upon their men, burglar alarms, chemical sprays, guard dogs as well as other external agents for self-shield.
In addition, other challenges are providing trainings to avoid danger and encourage change spectator interference or social norms (Hollander, 2014).The main target of self-defense training programs is to educate women on how to resist efficiently if confront with a latent assault.However, it does not impart girls how to fight but inculcate them how to defend themselves when needed.
Self-defense training offers women an entrance to a new set of combative responses in assorted assault states.It trains women both physically and spiritually for potential attacks (Follansbee, 1982 as cited in Brecklin & Ullman, 2005) by providing them with opportunities to learn social and cognitive skills through the use of role-plays, conversation and simulation of exercises (Peretz, 1991;Thompson, 1991as cited in Brecklin & Ullman, 2005and Cummings, 1992).Self-defense training is very significant for women because it pact with three main issues of women survival, for example the fear of sexual assault and violence, the gender, and the selfhood (Hollander, 2004).It holds various levels start from white belt to black belt.Numerous girls participate in self-defense training classes and may learn distinct techniques such as how to cope with assault circumstances, break free of the fingers of an assailant, dent the breathing capacity of an assailant, displacing the shoulder or elbow of an assailant, free oneself when grabbed at the rear and getting strangled or free oneself when tackled to the ground (Weitlauf, et al., 2000).
Women are often idealized as susceptible, submissive and subject to male vicious behavior and violence (McCaughey, 1998).Women have overlooked the opportunities of taking physical training and participating in athletes due to their stereotypical roles.They also have been dispirited from learning self-protection strategies because it may not suitable for their feminine roles (Schneider & Jordan, 1978).In Pakistan mostly, girls feel communal pressure to defend them due to family's reverence.Due to conventional societal beliefs about women and men's roles, habitually they are reinforced by families to avoid physical resistance because it can be harmful for being aggressive.In the study of Hollander (2009) perception about women selfdefense training is that male thinks that after getting self-defense training (SDT) they become overconfident and they always set to fight with men and the result would be imperiled for women.The idea behind that, women are not intelligent, smart enough and even do not think prudently.Some women assume that self-defense training increases the chances of victim blame, for example, women had self-defense training, but if they fail to protect herself then everyone blame her for assault.At the same time, there are many winning stories of female resistance.In the study of (Cermele, 2004) some girl's perception about fighting back is that they can't fight back against men because it just made condition more horrible and they can only defend themselves when they have weapons.The alarm of being victimize also keep women at home and they don't walk alone in street at night.In the study of (Harris and Miller 2000 as cited in Williams & Hebl, 2005) asked from participants to put forward proper strategies for men and women who have a fear of becoming assault victims.Then outcome showed that most physical strategies comprise physical fighting and taking up body building were suggested for men, whereas more submissive strategies included carrying a paper spray, cellular phone, being escorted and screaming were recommended to women.In order to reduce rape victims, woman should avoid going alone on the outside, wearing the dress in a proactive manner and franking with strangers or male employees at workplace as well as learning defensive techniques.Rozee & Koss (2001) state that even though some parts of rapes are inescapable we bicker that women could resists against possible rapists if they take training on overcoming psychological barriers to resistance, diagnosing as early as possible they are facing impending rape and giving an expected ladder through which to progress from verbal to physical resistance.
Violence against women is a very serious problem in almost all cities of Pakistan.Pakistani women had become a victim of domestic and street violence, murder, acid throwing, intimate partner violence, abduction, honor killing, rape, sexual harassment, verbal violence, Karokari and other sexual abuse.Nowadays media shows horrible stories of crime against women like rape, acid burning for the sake of dowry and murder in the name of so called honor.Despite being a religious country, many women, young and small girls were victims of rape in Pakistan.As commonly, the majority of rapes are perpetrated by men whom women know and men suppose that women will be acquiescent and don't be able to hassle back.As stated by Aurat Foundation in 2012, maximum cases of sexual assaults were reported in Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Karachi, Khairpur, Tando Allah Yar, Badin, Nawab Shah, Kashmore, Sanghar and Dadu.At the same time it is somber to note that people arduously report for the sexual assaults in Baluchistan, KPK, FATA and ICT regions (Annual Report, 2012).Physical violence upon women is more likely to befall in the private sphere.Women are becoming sufferer due to their intimate partner violence.Thus, women had a great scare of sexual abuse, physical violence and they need protection.For the empowerment of women, many violence prevention programs were developed such as self-defense training.It empowers women to effectively resist assault and not confining their mobility (McCaughey, 1997;Ozer & Bandura, 1990;Rozee & Koss, 2001as cited in Hollander, 2014).
Although women had made progress in almost all regions of life, but they are still at a vulnerable spot at public places.At public places women are not sure about when and which activity of man creates hindrance and harm to them.In order to demote the chances of their victimization they used different strategies to conquer the violence included wearing a wedding ring though unwed (Gardner, C. 1990 ), in taxi made a fake call to someone and tell them about their arrival and information about taxi, wearing a casual dress that doesn't entice others, walking close to a group of people, sitting in a car with male employee minimize their dread, wearing a flat shoes aid them, escaping when needed, carrying a weapon ( Gun, knife, lights, Distractions, personal alarms, handbag).Sometime women use disparate techniques in order to decrease risk like when they are strolling alone and carry a home key in their hands and act in such a way that their house is near to them; they started feeling secure by standing near a convenient police officer or near a group of other women are walking along with their male partner and other family members (Gardner, 1990).Clay-Warner (2002) evaluates the situational effectiveness of protective strategies used by women during attempted and completed rape.She also says that women are victorious in protecting themselves when aggressor is a foreigner rather than someone who knows them included acquaintance, family member and friend.She also points out that the use of physical force is amid the vital strategies for escaping a possible rape.Self-defense training imparts students various physical and verbal skills that not only help them to effectively defend themselves but also able to assist others.Mostly women choose to employ selfproactive acts when an encounter to sexual abuse by running away, screaming, physically fighting, etc. with the assailants (Brecklin & Ullman, 2001;Siegel, Sorenson, Golding, Burnam, & Stein, 1989 as cited in Clay -Warner 2003).Now there are different self-defense programs in all over Pakistani cities.The approach is personal safety and risk reduction.For example, self-defense for Women in Karachi, Self Defense, Shotokan Karate, Kobudo, & Fitness Instructor training for Females in Rawalpindi.There is need for change; otherwise Pakistani society will push itself with back to dark ages.Men and women should be equal donors of social change.The research will help to evaluate how self-defense can help women.In this study comparison have been made between the perception of both self defense trained and untrained girls towards their self protection.And the strategies of both self defense trained and untrained girls towards their self protection have been evaluated.
The focus of the study was to audit the perception of self-defense trained and untrained girls towards their self-protection and comprise the strategies that both groups has used for their self-protection.
There are numerous articles published on the matter of women self-defense training and the problems that they confront along the way at the global level.This proves that actively participating in self-defense classes for women is a challenge across the globe.however the causes may vary like some women learn self-defense training before their assault experience and some were learned after their victimization.
The study found that it is the socio-cultural norms and the stereotypical gender roles assigned to women, which create barrier their tectonic and active participation in self-defense classes.Women who had the self-defense training are less likely to become a victim of assault than average women.Self-defense trained women use appropriate strategies for their self-protection when required in order to reduce the chances of being victimized.
Analysis denotes that there is insignificant relationship exists between self-defense trained and untrained girls about attitude for self-protection.Both groups coincide that to avoid is the best attitude of selfprotection.Self-defense training teaches women different skills and improve their physical and verbal skills and self-defense trained women feel safer than average women those do not have self-defense training in public places.Untrained women contemplate that self-defense training implies victim blaming if self-defense trained women failed to protect themselves from violence and then in consequence everyone will blame her for assault.While self-defense trained women do not concur with them.
Self-defense training gives freedom to move freely in public domain.Therefore, it is necessary that women learn self-defense training because findings manifest that girls with self-defense training are better able to tackle with assault situations and more likely to reduce the risk of violence and confident to talk with stranger than women which do not have training.

Statement
Mann-Whitney U Wilcoxon W Z Asymp.Sig. (2-tailed) The main rule of safety is to never ever trust to someone. 119