Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention for Adolescent Girls

VSAP Project Curriculum

Course Syllabus

“Violence that kills or maims can be as preventable as water injury or drownings. What if you heard of a country where six thousand of its citizens drowned every year, and where 500,000 citizens come very close to drowning? ‘Damn, why don’t those people learn how to swim?’ you would say.”

-- Ellen Snortland, Beauty Bites Beast.

 Ellen Snortland is a professor at California State University, Los Angeles, and a women’s self defense instructor and advocate. According to the Department of Justice, a woman is raped every two minutes in the United States. One in six women will become the victim of a rape attempt at some point in their lives.

 

 

I. Rationale: 

Violence and sexual assault, particularly rape, are a realities that threaten virtually every female in the United States. They are also largely preventable. This course combines the two elements girls need to protect themselves:  Violence prediction and self-defense training. This curriculum is designed for high school and middle school teenage girls. These learners are at an age in which they frequently enter the social world outside the supervision of a trusted adult, yet they don’t yet have a complete understand of potential dangers. Possibly because of this, about half of all rapes are committed against teenage girls. This curriculum is designed to teach them a skill that can help keep them safe throughout their lives.

 

II. Course Aims and Objectives: 

Aims

Adolescent girls who complete this course should be able to predict, and thus avoid, violence by using an informed intuition. They should also possess the basic tools of physical self-defense, which will not only help them if they encounter violence but also provide them with a sense of empowerment and self-esteem through the knowledge that they have some control over ensuring their own safety and protection.

 

Specific Learning Objectives:

Specific objectives are described within each lesson plan. All VSAP curriculum objectives are encompassed in the following course goals. By the end of this course, students will:

 

1.      Informed Intuition:

a.       Possess an informed intuition regarding violence, rape, and sexual assault through understanding of relevant facts and myths.

b.      Apply informed intuition to help them avoid violence in their lives.

c.       Identify pre-incident indicators (PINs) of violent behavior.

2.      Specific Prevention Strategies:

a.       Increase their chances of avoiding violence, rape, and sexual assault by applying the principle of Privacy and Control

b.      Recognize and understand PINs and facts, and apply this understand to avoid violence, rape, and sexual assault in the following situations:

                                                               i.      Domestic violence

                                                             ii.      Date / acquaintance rape

                                                            iii.      Encounters solicited through Internet communications (chat rooms, instant messenger, email, etc.)

                                                           iv.      Away from home without immediate adult supervision

3.      Self-Esteem and Empowerment:

a.       Realize how self-esteem impacts violence, rape, and sexual assault prevention.

b.      Improve their sense of empowerment by understanding how social and cultural myths and practices affect it.

c.       Understand the role that empowerment plays in self-defense.

d.      Avoid violence by controlling situations through assertiveness.

e.       Understand how to report and obtain proper assistance if affected by violence, rape, and sexual assault.

4.      Self-Defense:

a.       Possess the ability to defend themselves against a larger opponent with block and counter techniques in order to avoid or escape a rape or sexual assault.

b.      Understand specific avoidance and defensive strategies, passive resistance, and intuition in order to survive rape and sexual assault.

 

 

III. Learners and Learning Environment: 

The purpose of this project to fill the need for a VSAP curriculum for schools and organizations that do not have the resources to develop or money to purchase their own program. The curriculum will be offered free for download to any organization that does not intend to profit from using it.

 

Target users are high school and middle school teachers and private instructors that currently work with teenage girls. It would typically be taught through a health or physical education class (or a project unit involving both classes). The lessons are written for the high school level, yet it can be adapted for middle school.

 

Instruction is designed for three teaching environments:  Classroom, online, and physical education area. Violence prediction and prevention lessons will be taught typically in the classroom since the instructional activities include mainly open class discussion, writing, and lecture. The online portion of the curriculum involves two phases:  Instructor preparation, and supplemental student material. Instructors will review the lesson plans online and download for each section. Students may also use the VSAP Project website to find additional material and resources, access online assignments, and view pictures / video or self-defense techniques. Self-defense would typically be taught in a physical education area, such as a gym or field, but it is suitable for any open, flat area large enough to allow each student to extend kicks without concern of hitting another student or obstacle.

IV.  Exceptions, Delimitations and Disclaimers

Any school or organization using this curriculum should require parental permission prior to participation since the material and discussions may be graphic and explicit in nature. Organizations should also be aware that previous violence, sexual assault, or rape victims frequently suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and exposure to this program may invoke a negative reaction. Students who have been victims should be cautioned to seek written approval from a mental health professional before participating. Since victims’ privacy must be honored, any student who chooses not to participate should be offered a suitable alternative project without question. Also, since the physical portion of the self-defense curriculum is moderately strenuous, organizations offering this curriculum should require medical release forms prior to participation. All students and their parents should be notified of each of these concerns prior to the start of instruction and provided with the proper waivers and release forms. Development and use of any notifications, waivers, permission forms, and release forms is the responsibility of the school or organization using this curriculum. All instructors, administrators, schools, and organizations using this curriculum should consult local law enforcement and health agencies regarding laws and policies pertaining to teaching violence, rape, and sexual assault prevention to adolescents, including laws and procedures involving reporting of suspected rape or sexual abuse of students in the program.

 

Noticeably omitted from the target learners are males. While men and teenage boys do encounter significant violence, even sexual assault, the typical nature of the violence and, consequently, the principles of avoidance and prevention are different from those of females. Schools or organizations implementing this or any other violence prevention curriculum for females may also want to examine other types of violence prevention programs designed for males. One useful resource is the Office of Justice Programs with the U.S. Department of Justice. Organizations offering a VSAP curriculum for women or girls should also consider a program that involves males in the prevention of male violence against females. Such programs typically help define male roles in prevention, teach how male stereotypes and perceptions may promote the violence, and examine cultural issues that may stand as obstacles to prevention.

 

THIS SITE IS PROVIDED BY KEN NIEZGODA (“THE DEVELOPER”), ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. THE DEVELOPER MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE OPERATION OF THE SITE OR THE INFORMATION, CONTENT, MATERIALS, OR PRODUCTS INCLUDED ON THIS SITE. TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEVELOPER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE DEVELOPER WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS SITE OR THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL OR RESOURCES INCLUDED ON THIS SITE IN AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

 

Please view the Issues for Teachers in Sexual Violence Prevention Education guide from the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault for additional guidance.

V. Course Requirements and Recommendations: 

1.      Recommended Reading and Text: 

a.       The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

b.      Protecting the Gift by Gavin de Becker

c.       Beauty Bites Beast by Ellen Snortland

d.      Adolescent Sexual Assault & Harassment Prevention Curriculum by Marjorie Fink, C.S.W.

2.      Materials and Equipment:

a.       Striking target pads (hand held, upright, or wall-mounted) for self-defense training (caution: be aware that adapting pads that are not designed for striking, such as basketball wall protection pads, can result in injury).

b.      Padded training sticks for defense training (foam swimming “noodles” can be used)

c.       Beach ball(s) for focus training and demonstration

d.      Computer access. Instructors should have computer and Internet access to retrieve lesson plans, although a CD of the curriculum is available for organizations without Internet access. Students must have Internet access if they intend to access supplemental lessons and information from the project website.

3.      Project Proposal and curriculum CD (not required) – Available upon request by emailing Ken Niezgoda at ken@pacificpaper.com (shipping and handling fee may apply).

 

V. Grading and Assessment Recommendations

Violence, sexual assault, and rape, in all variations, are potentially sensitive, emotional, and highly charged topics for learners. Instructors of this curriculum will probably not be aware of how these crimes may have touched the lives of individual learners. Learners may be very active and vocal, or may feel uncomfortable discussing or even writing about the subject matter because of previous trauma. Because of this, it is recommended that this curriculum be graded on a pass / no pass basis, and that passive participation is the only requirement for passing. That is, if the student shows up for class and listens, they should pass. In many of the lessons, students will be encouraged to write and speak about VSAP issues. While these artifacts could serve as a suitable learner assessment tools, it is recommended that instructors make these assignments optional or extra-credit. If the school, school district or organization believes that further assessment is necessary, then testing on rote recall of VSAP facts may be appropriate. This is left to the discretion of the school or organization.

 

VI. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Currently this curriculum is not designed specifically to accommodate for students with disabilities but can be adapted by the individual organization or school to meet these needs. Organizations attempting to meet the needs of students with disabilities should be aware that, in addition to permanent or temporary physical disabilities that may affect self-defense learning, students may also suffer from emotional disabilities, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of violence, rape, or sexual assault. This curriculum could trigger an adverse response in previous victims. Students should be under no obligation to inform the school or organization if they have been the victims of such a crime; therefore it is necessary for the school to make all proper notifications prior to the start of instruction as well as any consequential learning accommodations. Districts should consider contacting a mental health professional skilled in violence, rape, and sexual assault counseling for further guidance.

 

VII. General Course Schedule

Curriculum Outline

Condensed Three Hour Seminar

Class

Element

Lessons / Activities

Self-Defense

1

Informed Intuition

Rape facts / myths; intuition

Balance, defense, power of “No”

Rape Facts / Myths,

PIN’s,

Informed Intuition

2

Informed Intuition

Pre-incident indicators              of violence; JACA

Arm & leg attacks, targets, front attack

3

Informed Intuition

Survival Signals;  Rule of Opposites

Arm & leg attacks, close attack defense

4

Informed Intuition

Privacy and Control

Repetition of skills, grab / choke defense

Basic Attacks,

Defense,

Hold Breaks,

What to do if Attacked

5

VSAP Strategies

Saying “No”; Media Stereotypes

Repetition of skills, ground techniques

6

VSAP Strategies

Date and Acquaintance Rape

Repetition of skills, encountering attacker

7

VSAP Strategies

Persuasive Predator Behavior

Repetition of skills, options, safety zone

Self-Esteem

Specific Rape and Sexual Assault Scenarios

8

VSAP Strategies

Power Predator Behavior

Repetition of skills, attitude in confrontation

9

Self-Esteem

Empowerment and Self-Defense

Repetition of skills, survival strategies

10

Review

Review

Review

 

 

IX. Project References

 

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Copyright © 2006-2007 Ken Niezgoda