With a total of 8,828 victims of hate crimes reported in 2017 by the nation’s law enforcement agencies, 54 of the individuals were victims of gender biases, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Twenty-eight of the victims were women.

This may suggest a growing need for women to take safety into their own hands. A campus program offers just that.

The Rape Aggression Defense System, also known as R.A.D., is a self defense program dedicated to educate women on realistic defensive concepts and techniques.

Self defense training allows women the opportunity to stand up and learn how to protect themselves.

“The R.A.D. class is a self defense class that teaches risk awareness, risk recognition, risk reduction and risk avoidance, along with basic physical self defense,” said Lieutenant Jennifer Curwick, of the Fresno State Police Department and R.A.D. course instructor for over 15 years.

“Students obtain skills to defend themselves and are empowered,” Curwick added.

R.A.D. system has over 3,000 certified instructors with almost 100,000 participants trained. The program is taught at over 350 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. It’s the countries largest and quickest growing program exclusively for women, due to the sensitive nature of the class, according to the Fresno State Police Department website.

Class enrollment is offered to women ages 12 and up, including faculty, staff, students and the general public, according to Curwick. There is a $15 materials fee and no prior experience is necessary.

The course includes basic principles of defense, risk reduction strategies, offensive and defensive postures, a workbook and reference manual, along with optional simulation training.

It is an inexpensive class with a free lifetime return policy. The one-time-only materials fee allows members to attend as many future classes for practice with no charge in the U.S. and Canada, according to Curwick.

Classes are offered twice a semester and each totals up to 12 hours, which are then broken up into three days for three hours. Attending the three days is required due to limited enrollment, according to Curwick.

The classes will continue to be offered four times a year, taught at Fresno State by the Fresno State Police Department by certified instructors.
For more information on self defense and how to get involved, visit the Fresno State Police Department website.