MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1999

Offering women protection

By Matthew L. Green

On-Line Forty-Niner

A knuckle to the head, a kick to the crouch. That is what a rapist may feel if he attacks a women with self-defense training.

In a poll, one in four college women said they had been sexually assaulted, according to a brochure released by the Rape Aggression Defense Systems.

Of these victims, 71 percent avoided being raped by knowing how to defend themselves.

Females wanting to learn how to fight off a potential rapist can enroll in a nationally known self-defense program now being offered at Cal State Long Beach thorough University Police.

To inform CSULB students of the program, Sgt. Bonnie Meyers announced the upcoming classes at a noon concert Thursday at the University Student Union South Plaza.

In the Rape Aggression Defense Systems class, pupils learn how to react in real sexual-assault situations, said Meyers. The program started on the East Coast and has spread to colleges across the nation.

Participants kick, chop and smack a person packed in a protective suit resembling ice hockey gear.

In 1998 at CSULB, one person was a victim of sexual assault, down one incident from the year before. Between 1973 and 1987, more than 2.3 million women reported being sexually assaulted in the United States.

Those who join the program receive a lifetime free return and practice policy, enabling a member to participate in classes anywhere in the country.

For more information, one may call (562) 985-8535.