Equalizer Women’s Self-defense Program (EWSP)

The Equalizer Women’s Self-defense Program (EWSP) is structured into three chapters: Personal Safety, Residential Security, and Physical Self-defense. Each chapter serves to educate women and teens on critical aspects of personal safety and self-defense.

CHAPTER: One – Personal Safety LENGTH: 2-4 hours

PERSONAL SAFETY OBJECTIVES:

1. Provide facts about assault, rape/sexual assault, and stalking.
2. Inform about the effects of rape/sexual assault and available help.
3. Teach how to recognize violent attitudes and dangerous situations.
4. Guide on reducing exposure to potentially dangerous situations.
5. Instruct on avoiding becoming the target of an attacker.

PERSONAL SAFETY SUBJECTS ADDRESSED:

1. Victims Of Violence Statistics
2. Facts About Rape/Sexual Assault
3. Facts About Date Rape
4. Reduce The Risk Of Rape & Assault
5. Recognizing Violent Attitudes
6. Reduce The Risk Of Date Rape
7. What If You Are Attacked Or Raped?
8. What If Someone You Know Is Sexually Assaulted?
9. Facts About Stalking
10. Stalking And The Law
11. What If You Are Being Stalked?
12. Defending Someone Else

CHAPTER: Two – Residential Security LENGTH: 2-4 hours

RESIDENTIAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES:

1. Offer facts about property crime in general.
2. Discuss burglary, home invasion, and related risks.
3. Teach how to recognize and reduce the risk of property and violent crime.
4. Instruct on actions to take if victimized by property crime.
5. Educate on the legal rights of those victimized by property crime.

RESIDENTIAL SECURITY SUBJECTS ADDRESSED:

1. Understanding Property Crime
2. Understanding Burglary
3. Classifying Burglars
4. Tools Of The Burglary Trade
5. Tricks Of The Burglary Trade
6. Understanding Home Invasion
7. The “C.A.R.V.E.” Assessment & “D.I.V.I.I.R.T.” Property Crime
8. Practical Application Of “D.I.V.I.I.R.T.”
9. Perimeter Fences & Gates
10. Securing Outside Property
11. Exterior Lighting For Security
12. Surveillance Cameras For Security
13. A Key Point
14. Securing Exterior Doors
15. Securing Garage Doors
16. Securing Windows
17. Burglar Alarm Basics
18. A Home Safe
19. Children & Residential Security
20. A Safe Room
21. Residential Security While Away
22. Access While Away
23. Suspicious Activity & Objects
24. If You Are Victimized By Property Crime
25. Victim’s Rights

CHAPTER: Three – Physical Self-defense (divided into four phases) LENGTH: 4 hours per self-defense phase

EQUALIZER PHYSICAL SELF-DEFENSE OBJECTIVES:

1. Educate on the objectively reasonable use of force and the effects of survival stress.
2. Teach defense against common grabs, holds, and strikes, both standing and on the ground.
3. Instruct on defending against knife or sharp instrument attacks.
4. Enhance confidence in self-defense ability.

PHYSICAL SELF-DEFENSE SUBJECTS ADDRESSED:

Phase One:

• Self-defense Chapter Objectives
• Conflict Leverage
• Physical Fitness
• Nutritional Fitness
• Warm-up Exercises
• Stretching
• Guidelines for the Use of Force
• Survival Stress
• Threat Assessment and Response
• Strategic Striking

Phase Two:

• Common Grab Defense

Phase Three:

• Head Lock Defense
• Bear Hug Defense
• Knife Defense

Phase Four:

• Ground Defense & Escapes