Put an IMPACT Safety Course Next on Your To-do List Q&A WITH JULIE HARMON Julie Harmon, Ph.D., director of IMPACT Safety, loves to talk about the power of empowerment self-defense. She was ecstatic to share her perspective on the benefits of Empowered Self Defense. IMPACT Safety’s programs are unlike other self-defense classes in that IMPACT addresses interpersonal safety with this definition of selfdefense: “Self-defense is any time you make a decision to keep yourself emotionally and/or physically safe.” We practice emotional self-defense every day. This means understanding what we say yes to, what we say no to and why we say both. Answering the phone, deciding not to attend one more Zoom call, weighing all the options before accepting or declining an invitation or request. The mission of IMPACT Safety is to create communities where all individuals have the emotional and physical skills necessary to prevent violence, make safe choices and live with greater confidence. What sets IMPACT Safety apart from other self-defense programs? We teach empowerment self-defense skills, historically called feminist self-defense. We define self-defense as “anytime you make a decision to keep yourself emotionally and physically safe,” which already denotes a difference between martial arts and traditional kick-and-strike, “don’t go out at night” types of approaches. We teach in context of the participants’ lives: what, when and where does interpersonal violence happen, what systemic and cultural considerations does each individual consider when assessing an uncomfortable 40 | ENVISION PROVEN SUCCESS MAGAZINE or scary interaction, what is worth fighting for, and what verbal and physical strategies might someone prefer in any given situation. Interpersonal violence does not exist in a vacuum – it happens in context of systemic oppression, entitlement and patriarchy. The goals of every class, regardless of its length or audience, is to help every participant recognize that they natter enough to have, recognize and set their boundaries. Who is your target audience? Actually everyone, but if we have to narrow, it would be 1) vulnerable populations, identified by who they are – youth, the elderly, marginalized populations such as immigrants, women of color, LGBTQ, foster kids, teens, and people with disabilities; or 2) those who work in higher-risk professions such as home health, real estate, small business, social work, and people who leave the office to work, solo travelers, those who date and so on. Everyone is at risk for some type of interpersonal violence, though one in three women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, 70-80% before the age of 24, of which 80% have been from people they know. What are some of the courses you offer to schools, communities, businesses, etc.? 1. INTRODUCTION TO Empowerment Self Defense: Usually customized for specific audiences, e.g. women of color, real estate agents, girls’ night out, Girl Scouts, etc. 2. IMPACT: Ability: An abuse prevention program for those with disabilities 3. Own Your Own Safety: A comprehensive ESD program that covers everything. 4. On My Own: A course for those leaving home Are there opportunities to volunteer and/or donate? Of course. We have many needs and are always willing to match a volunteer’s interest, passion and growing edge to a volunteer opportunity. We appreciate partnerships in promoting and offering our work and we welcome donations of any size. impactsafety.org Tamani Lucy-Thompson
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