Intuition and Empowerment

Shootings, gang violence, and racial harassment are serious problems that face our schools. Not coincidentally, these issues receive considerable attention from agencies, school districts, and the media. Less emphasis is placed on the prevention of violence and sexual assault against teenage girls.

Why? There are many possible reasons. This violence affects females (and statistically is almost always committed by males), thrusting prevention programs into a hotbed of political incorrectness. Another possible reason: rape and sexual assault typically occur away from school, with nearly half of all rapes occurring in a home. Schools focus primarily on violence that occurs in schools.

Should schools teach teenage girls how to protect themselves? You decide. Department of Justice statistics show that 1 in 6 women will be the victim of a rape attempt at some point in their lives. Every two minutes, another women is raped in the United States. Odds are that the victim is an adolescent, since more than half of all victims are under the age of 18. While schools frequently sponsor driver's education and swimming safety, the odds of a girl being attacked rival these and any other danger they may face. The problem is a significant danger to adolescent girls now, and the threat continues as they grow into adults. Schools are in a position to make a difference about a serious and potentially life-threatening issue.

Adolescent girls can be taught how to avoid violence and defend themselves. The key is learning how to use an informed intuition to avoid violence and becoming empowered with self-defense knowledge and skills. Through informed intuition and empowerment, adolescent girls can minimize their odds of becoming a victim of violence, rape, and sexual assault at any point in their lives.