Public Safety will begin offering a male counterpart to the Rape Aggression Defense class starting next week, after several AU students showed interest in a male equivalent. The class, called Resisting Aggression with Defense, focuses on teaching males to walk away from confrontation rather than resort to violence. The class will help combat the stereotypes, perpetuated by media, that make men feel the need to fight when challenged, unlike the women's RAD class which teaches them how to physically defend themselves, according to Public Safety Sgt. Dale Booth.
The necessity of a class for women is without question. Based on physical size alone, women are at a higher risk for getting assaulted than men. Classes that exclude men, like do classic RAD classes, are necessary so that men do not learn the secrets to a women's defense. The necessity of a class for men, however, is questionable.
The class teaches each attendee the phrase "I'm sorry, there has been a misunderstanding, I am leaving now," according to Lt. Rima Sifri, Public Safety's crime prevention coordinator. A phrase surely taught with good intentions, but not necessarily teachable. Men do certainly seem to be more aggressive than women, but it is doubtful that four classes, totaling 12 hours, would be able to change years of learned behavior or magically lower elevated levels of testosterone. It is even more doubtful that an aggressive man would decide to take an RAD class that focuses on non-violent protection techniques. The likely enrollee for a class like this will probably be someone who already understands the merit of walking away from a fight.
Instead, Public Safety should offer a class in addition to the women's only RAD class that includes both men and women. A class that caters to both genders could be doubly beneficial in that it would help men and women get on the same page about sexual assault.
A class that teaches men the boundaries between "yes" and "no" and what constitutes rape or sexual assault could help clear up an extremely taboo issue that many men are confused and intimidated by. The class could also focus on creating a more direct, frank and honest dialogue between couples about boundaries in their specific relationship. Having women around in the classes could even feasibly help get more men involved.
It is good that Public Safety is trying to offer a class to teach men about aggression but the format needs to be changed if it is to be of any use. A little tinkering with the class's premise - to focus on education about sexual assault over fight avoidance techniques - could be of great benefit to both the men and women of AU. Until then it will be of little use to either gender.
