Why do women take self-defense classes?
Given the positive benefits of self-defense training for women, it is important to understand how women come to enroll in self-defense classes. Using data from a longitudinal study of university women, I explore the reasons women give for taking a self-defense class. I find that friends' recommendations, visions of the "possible selves" they could become, and fear of violence were the most frequently reported reasons; having experienced a past assault was rarely cited as a reason for enrolling. In addition, many women who had never enrolled in a self-defense class reported having considered doing so. I explore barriers to learning self-defense and find that logistical issues such as time, money, and availability of classes were the most frequently reported reasons for not enrolling.
Hollander
Jocelyn A
JA
Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA. jocelynh@uoregon.edu
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012928:Social Desirability; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology