HANCOCK COUNTY — Nick Wright, a Greenfield police officer, held on to the black leather kick-pad tightly and implored the youngsters to strike it as hard as they could. This was after he showed them the proper way to fend off someone looking to do them harm.
The moves seemed to go against their instincts. Children and teens, after all, are taught not to hit anyone under normal circumstances. But a recent class was designed to make them think about a moment in their lives when they might have to defend themselves.
The safety tactic was one of the lessons children at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hancock County learned during the self-defense class. The program was presented by GPD and Alternatives Inc., an agency that advocates for domestic violence victims.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallerySgt. Corey Decker of GPD led the class, which was unusual because of its young audience. The class was put together by Madison Garrity, the county’s victim advocate who works for Alternatives. With the help of Decker and Wright, the class showed the young people techniques for self-defense but also focused on other things they can do to stay safe.
“We live in a dangerous time,” Decker said. “You see it every day in the news.”
Studies show as many as a quarter of all children in the United States have been victims of bullying, which can lead to physical confrontations. One in nine girls under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault. Girls ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
Some keys to learning self-defense skills are knowing when to use the tactics and getting people to become more aware of their surroundings, Decker said. The most important thing to do, however, is to make sure a person never presents herself or himself as an easy target by not paying attention to surroundings.
Pre-teens are also at the age where they need learn to make wise decisions about where they go, and who they go with, Garrity said.
“It’s very important to reach the teen population with these self-defense classes, because unfortunately sexual assault is most prevalent among individuals ages 15-24,” Garrity said.
The police officers talked to a group of around 20 and told them what to do should they ever find themselves in a situation where they have to defend themselves.
Afterward, Decker and Garrity talked with older teens and discussed things like bystander intervention and shared resources available to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
Generally, the emphasis on the class will be to show participants there are trusted people who are there to help those in danger, Garrity said.
“Education is the key to everything,” Decker said. “We’ve got to make people more aware the little things they can do to stay safe.”
While self-defense tactics can’t counter every dangerous scenario, officials hope their class can equip people with the skills to potentially escape a dangerous situation and get to safety.
That doctrine needs to be at the heart of self-defense training, says Misty Moore, who, along with her husband, Craig Moore, hold self-defense classes for women and girls. Their business is called I Am Lona
“Lona stands for ready for battle,” said Misty Moore.
Moore is director of Hancock County Emergency Management, so preparedness in the face of danger always is top of mind.
That’s what the Moores want for girls and women of all ages: to be better prepared to protect themselves under any circumstance.
The Moores put on a defense workshop Friday for women and teens at Hope Center Indy, 11850 Brookville Road.
“It’s not just — fight off a predator — it’s also being mentally prepared for the battles that will come,” Misty Moore said.
The Moores volunteer their time at the Hope Center, which is dedicated to transforming the lives of women exiting trafficking and reintegrating into the community.
Proceeds from their classes at the facility go back into the program to purchase security cameras and other safety measures.
Their two-hour workshop was for women and female teenagers, specifically those heading off to college. It covered self-defense awareness; basic self-defense tactics training; and how to use self-defense products.
They’ve been pleasantly surprised there has been such a huge interest in the classes, Craig Moore said.
The Moores, say it’s time for people to think seriously about their own safety.
“There are so many events happening in society today, much more so than in the past, and there are so many risks and dangers for teenage girls.” Misty Moore said.
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To learn more about Alternatives Inc.’s self-defense workshops, call Madison Garrity or Sgt. Corey Decker through the Greenfield Police Department at 317-477-4410.
More information about I Am Lona’s mission and classes can be found at its website, www.iamlona.com.
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