Self-Defense/Assertiveness Training, Women's Victimization History, and Psychological Characteristics

• NCJ Number: 205970
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 10 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2004 Pages: 479-497
• Author(s): Leanne R. Brecklin
• Editor(s): Claire M. Renzetti
• Date Published: May 2004
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the characteristics and experiences of female college students in determining a woman’s choice in enrolling in self-defense/assertiveness training.

Abstract

Self-defense/assertiveness training attempts to prevent violence against women by strengthening women’s capacity to stand up for and defend themselves. It is important to determine what characteristics and experiences distinguish women who decide to take self-defense/assertiveness training from those who do not. This study examined the relationships between self-defense/assertiveness training status, women’s victimization history, and psychological characteristics using data from 3,187 female college students through the National Survey of International Gender Relationships. It examined the role of self-defense/assertiveness training in college women’s lives. Study measurements utilized to examine training participation included: demographics, child victimization history, adult sexual victimization, social-psychological characteristics, and psychological symptoms. Corresponding to previous studies, self-defense/assertiveness training participants were more likely to have suffered child sexual and physical abuse as well as more adult sexual victimization. As hypothesized, women who took self-defense/assertiveness training were less accepting of rape myths and less sexually conservative than women without training. In addition, results indicate that women with training reported fewer traits of negative expressiveness than did women without training. Lastly, women with self-defense/assertiveness training were older than women without training. Self-defense/assertiveness training may help to counter women’s traditional gender-role socialization, as women with training have more traits of positive instrumentality and fewer traits of negative expressiveness. The strongest predictor of training participation was the experience of multiple victimizations in childhood, supporting the development and evaluation of more in-depth programs combining self-defense training and therapy. Study limitations are discussed. References