Citation

Jordan J, Mossman E. Violence Against Women 2019; 25(3): 313-336.

Affiliation

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801218768712

PMID

29807497

Abstract

Can self-defense courses empower those already victimized? This article explores the potential for self-defense courses to have specific efficacy in the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV). It draws on interview ( n = 36) and pre- and postevaluation ( n = 44) data from two studies: (a) evaluation of a pilot study of a feminist empowerment self-defense course designed specifically for women's refuge/shelter clients (Violence Prevention Project [VPP]) and (b) evaluation of women's self-defense courses collected as part of a larger evaluation study (Skills for Safety). The overwhelmingly positive findings from both studies suggest greater consideration be offered to providing further collaborative refuge/self-defense courses for women victimized by IPV.

Language: en

Keywords

empowerment; intimate partner violence; prevention; self-defense