Add your conference to our Justice Events calendar

PUBLICATIONS

Stay Informed
Register with NCJRS to receive NCJRS's biweekly e-newsletter JUSTINFO and additional periodic emails from NCJRS and the NCJRS federal sponsors that highlight the latest research published or sponsored by the Office of Justice Programs.

NCJRS Abstract

The document referenced below is part of the NCJRS Virtual Library collection. To conduct further searches of the collection, visit the Virtual Library. See the Obtain Documents page for direction on how to access resources online, via mail, through interlibrary loans, or in a local library.

NCJ Number:	227023

Title:	Roots of Resistance to Women's Self-Defense

Journal:	Violence Against Women Volume:15 Issue:5 Dated:May 2009 Pages:574-594

Author(s):	Jocelyn A. Hollander

Date Published:	May 2009

Page Count:	21

Publisher:	http://www.sagepub.com

Type:	Report (Study/Research)

Format:	Article

Language:	English

Country:	United States of America

Annotation:	This article discusses three major types of resistance to women’s self-defense (and to women’s resistance to violence) and suggests some reasons why these reactions are so frequent.

Abstract:	The three forms of resistance described in this article: the belief that women’s resistance is impossible, that it is too dangerous, and that it risks blaming the victim are common because they fit widespread cultural conceptions of gender. It is argued that one source of these reactions is people’s taken-for-granted beliefs about gender, which limit their ability to understand the research on women’s resistance and self-defense, and prevent them from being able to conceptualize women as strong and competent social actors. Understanding women’s self-defense, and understanding women’s resistance more generally, requires that women be seen as strong, powerful, potentially violent, smart, and complex human beings. It also requires that men be seen as something other than invulnerable. Those who teach or research women’s self-defense often encounter significant resistance from others. To change these patterns, there must be a better understanding why people resist or ignore self-defense training as a viable method of sexual assault prevention. Until then, women will continue to have limited access to the empowering and potentially life-saving information that resisting sexual violence is both possible and also often effective. References

Main Term(s):	Self defense

Index Term(s):	Female victims; Gender issues; Research and development; Self defense training; Victim resistance to attack



	To cite this abstract, use the following link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=249023

*A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents not available online, a link to the publisher's website is provided. Tell us how you use the NCJRS Library and Abstracts Database - send us your feedback.

PUBLICATIONS

NCJRS Abstract

Find in a Library