Philobiblon

This story is very powerful evidence for the need for self-defence classes in schools for all girls (in fact why not for all pupils?)

The writer was attacked by a would-be rapist, armed with a box-cutter, but managed to fight him off and escape, which she put down to the self-defence classes she had done years earlier – not so much any particular trick or technique, but because they had her rehearse what she would do if attacked, think about fighting back, which gave her the mental toolkit to cope with the situation.

So many women (and some men) have never been involved in a physical struggle, that when the first time it happens it is in an unexpected situation of social terror they don’t cope, and frequently they “freeze” and are unable to fight back.

Surely this is an essential coping skill that schools should teach.