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.
Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA. jocelynh@uoregon.edu
Jocelyn A
JA
Hollander
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