Junior and senior young ladies from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Massachusetts can sign up for self-defense classes taught by the Lincoln police officers, on June 3rd and 4th. “It is incredibly empowering,” Lincoln’s volunteer coordinator for self-defense Jena Salon said, of the class. “It just gives you a whole new sense of your body and your control over the environment.” One class spans two days, each from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The first day consists of more theoretical training, then students try out their new skills on an officer suited up in pads the second day. The class is free. “One in three women is going to experience some level of sexual assault or domestic (violence) in their lives,” Domestic Violence Services Network Executive Director Jacquelin Apsler said. “Dating violence and unhealthy relationships are just rampant in our youth.”
The Domestic Violence Services Network is a major funding resource for the classes. While grant money for the program comes from the Ogden Codman Trust, the Concord-based network serves as the required nonprofit middleman. Salon estimates the cost of a class is about $1,000, with officer time and training and equipment, but students can take the class free of charge. “It’s great, because unfortunately the world is an unknown entity at times, and the most powerful weapon you can have is awareness of your surroundings,” Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix said. “If a bad situation does present itself they can use those (physical self-defense) tools to keep themselves in a positive state and watch out for their well-being.”
Read more at: http://sudbury.wickedlocal.com/
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