He circled my 14-year-old daughter, yelling in her face, taunting her, intimidating her. He backed off for a moment, then swooped in from behind, grabbing her around the waist and wrestling her to the floor. Even though it was part of her training, it was still one of the hardest things I've ever had to watch, and there was nothing I could do. I was outside the room, looking through a glass panel in the door, my heart in my throat. She twisted and fought, beat him on the head, then managed to pull her knees up and kick him away with a powerful shove against his chest, giving him a swift kick in the head as a last touch. She jumped to her feet and ran away at full speed.
I was watching the final class of a four-week R.A.D Systems (Rape Aggression Defense) class offered for free to girls and women age 13 and up. I learned about these classes a couple of years ago while I was looking for local family events for the Macaroni Kid event calendar. My daughter wasn't quite old enough then, but I promised myself I would sign her up as soon as I saw a local class open to teens. In May, Littleton Police Department offered the class so I ran it by the mom of one of my daughter's friends, and we signed both of them up. Their classmates included a woman in her 60s, an older mom and daughter pair, two women in their 30s, and my daughter and her friend. Due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn't attend the first 3 classes but I got the download from her friend's mom and looked through the very thorough manual that my daughter received at the first class.
The RAD Systems class covered useful topics such as self defense and the law, detailed risk reduction strategies in many different scenarios, date rape, considerations for complying or resisting if assaulted, and many self defense moves and techniques. Taught by police officers who are specially trained as RAD Systems instructors, the teachers were able to add their real-world experience to help students understand the realities of sexual assault. Every week, they practiced actual techniques, such as yelling, delaying while developing a plan of action, distracting, establishing good balance, and attacking.
The last class was a culmination of all they had learned and involved a series of three simulated attacks, starting with a less threatening scenario and progressing to an on-the-floor physical attack. All the students were well-padded as was the "attacker" (actually a police officer from Ayer with many years of experience as a RAD instructor and simulated attacker). Each student went in on her own and had to use the skills she'd learned to effectively scare or fight off the attacker. The instructors were there to encourage and remind them of their training, shouting instructions on the best next steps. I have to say, the mom of the mom-daughter pair was FIERCE. She took the officer down and stayed around to hit him a few more times before running away. The "attacker" deliberately provoked and intimidated each student to try to simulate what a real life attack may feel and sound like.
My daughter is outgoing with her friends but very shy with other adults and not yet very independent. I could see she was digging really deep to get herself into that room, but she did it and I was so proud of her. She used the techniques she learned and was able to fight off and run away from her attacker, and she learned so much practical information during the classes. It's terrifying as a parent to send your daughters out into this world but I feel much better knowing she's taken this class. I'm hoping to sign us up again next year so that we can take it together, as a refresher for her (all RAD Systems students may take the class again, anywhere, for free) and new knowledge for me.
For more information on RAD Systems classes, visit www.RAD-Systems.com. According to their locations list, classes are offered by Littleton PD, Lexington PD, Acton PD, Bedford PD, Maynard PD, Concord PD, and many other locations throughout Massachusetts and the US.
