American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: August 2010

Self-Defense Education: Five  Steps for Developing Awareness and Prevention Tactics
Aaron L. Banks

Abstract: The  incorporation of a self-defense unit of study within secondary physical  education programs is becoming commonplace in 21st-century curricula. The  threat of crime to oneself, one’s belongings, or one’s home is very real and is  a particular concern to youths, because teens and young adults experience the  highest rates of crime as reported by the United States government. In response,  parents, administrators, teachers, and even students are interested in this  topic, and it is a lifetime skill easily transferable from the gymnasium to the  streets. The goal of modern self-defense training is to help students make good  choices, recognize potentially dangerous situations, and take action to prevent  a physical altercation. Educators are currently doing a good job teaching the  physical self-defense skills, but lack information describing how best to  educate students regarding awareness and prevention techniques. This article  provides suggestions to round out the self-defense curriculum.

Article category: Curriculum