Course informs students on self-defense

By Lesley Covington
Staff Writer

Many students are nervous on the first day of class. Not this time. The majority of the 11 “pioneers,” as Counselor Ellen Gooch calls them, appeared relaxed.

They were all young women, and they sat comfortably in an old room of the Jones Health and Physical Education Center. The female instructors added to the inclusive atmosphere.

The only men around were the young ones playing basketball down the hall. The lecture about self-defense was punctuated by their occasional yells after a great play. Everyone laughed as Gooch interrupted her spiel to acknowledge another shout.

This was the first night for the Rape Aggression Defense System on campus. RAD’s training course began at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12.

The first section was instructed by Gooch and Campus Police Officer Janice Locklear.

Each student sat within an oval, introduced herself and explained why she was here.

“I thought it would be a good learning experience and something to do outside my room,” one UNCP student said.

“I always thought it would be something I’d like to do, and now I can,” another said.

One young lady looked to others, as well. Either myself or someone else may be in a situation where defense is needed, she said.

The first night began with lecture, but by the end of the course students will follow realistic scenarios.

“Here we actually do simulations,” Gooch said. “You’re actually going to feel what it’s like.”

Locklear and Gooch demonstrated scenarios for the students.

Locklear defended herself from Gooch’s unwanted advances. “I said no,” she yelled as Gooch dragged at her arm. Gooch quickly released the arm.

The course is designed to teach you to use your voice, your eyes and your body against an attacker, Gooch said to her audience.

Locklear distinguished self-defense from initiating an attack. “It’s just a matter to stop a person, not to harm them,” she said.

Locklear explained how the law has certain expectations for defense. Kicking an attacker when he’s already down is unacceptable, she said.

Gooch told students to listen to their instincts. The class reviewed a list of safety measures: everything from checking that no one is under a car to having one-way peep holes in doors.

Detective Edward Locklear brought RAD to UNCP because of its preventive function. “Part of my job is being a crime prevention officer. And this is a crime prevention program,” he said.

Locklear said he believes the course will “start as a deterrent.” He also said he believes it will build self-esteem in women, help them defend themselves and escape an attacker.

Locklear would like to see RAD become a credit-weighted course in the Jones Health and Physical Education Center, he said. He also said he’d like to see it branch out into the Pembroke community.

Within the UNC system there were four forcible sex offenses or rape reported, according to the 2004 Annual Reports of each university. There were three non-forcible sex offenses reported for the same time period.

UNC Chapel Hill had only one rape reported for the 2003-2004 fiscal year, but its report carried a disclaimer. “Many incidents of rape are not reported to UNC-CH Public Safety.”