Kennesaw State began its Rape Aggression Defense classes on Monday, Sept. 17, in the multipurpose room of the Austin Residential Complex on the Kennesaw campus.
RAD is a self-defense course meant for women of all ages and fitness levels as a way to learn options to escape an attacker, according to KSU’s website. The classes begin with a lecture portion focusing on risk awareness, risk reduction and risk avoidance. The lecture is followed up by hands-on tactical training.
“RAD classes are important for students as these classes provide an educational foundation for individuals so they may become more aware of their surroundings to ultimately reduce, recognize and avoid situations that may become harmful to that individual,” said Heather Tucker, KSU Police Department records manager.
During the training, students wear protective gear and take part in a simulated attack with “the RAD man,” according to the website.
RAD is offered as a 12-hour course, broken up into four three-hour classes. KSU’s website states that participants must attend all four of the classes in order to complete the course.
Members of the KSU Police Department serve as the instructors for RAD. The classes are open to all students, faculty and staff, according to KSU’s website.
The other three classes will be held in the same room on Wednesday, Sept. 19, Monday, Sept. 24, and Wednesday, Sept. 26.
“Most victims of rape are women, and assaults against women are very different from an assault that may occur toward a man, which is why RAD systems designed a class specifically for women and one specifically for men,” Tucker said.
Other ways for students to protect themselves on and off campus include making sure drapes and shades are closed at night, always locking doors and cars and telling friends or family members before traveling somewhere alone, Tucker said.
The Sentinel found last year that KSU has higher rates of sexual misconduct than other four-year universities of comparable size such as Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern University and Georgia State University. All three of the other universities have fewer reports of dating violence, stalking and rape than KSU.
According to KSU’s daily crime log, this semester alone, there have been three reports of dating violence, one report of sexual battery, one report of sexual assault and one report of stalking. These six reports have been made in a span of 25 days, starting with the first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 13.
KSU Police referred a student who reported a stalking incident earlier this year in May to the defense classes offered on KSU’s campus.
The university has not issued any timely warnings to students for any of the sexual assault, dating violence, sexual battery or stalking reports this year. The last timely warning issued was in November 2017 for a reported fondling on the Marietta campus.