SETpoint was founded in 2016 by Lisa Nakamura, Founding Director and Lead Coach, and Michele Colvard, PhD, Executive Director and Lead Coach. Both of the founders have advanced rank in Shaolin Kung Fu (6th Degree and 3rd Degree, respectively) and are certified instructors in Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention (SHARP) and Escape and Evasion (E&E). Dr. Colvard holds a PhD in Anthropology. SETpoint was founded as a way to help combat high levels of gender-based violence and sexual assault in our society. Sexual assault is a critical issue of concern on college and university campuses, as recent statistics indicate that the overall incidence of sexual assault among undergraduate women is 20-25%, and there is an even greater risk among LGBTQ students. Many colleges and universities offer self-defense programs, but those programs primarily focus on introducing basic physical defense skills in the context of attacks by random strangers. This does little to address the fact that most assaults on college campuses are carried out by someone the victim knows. SETpoint’s programming is designed to fill this gap by offering empowerment-based training that combines the physical resistance skills of traditional self-defense with empowerment training that helps participants gain confidence in their ability to make their own choices, to set appropriate boundaries in interactions and relationships, and to de-escalate a potential situation should those boundaries be violated. Our workshops focus on providing tools that will help in contexts where the attacker or harasser may be an acquaintance or a stranger, and we build tools, options, and choices for participants from a foundational belief that a victim of an assault is never at fault. Our programs are strongly informed by academic research on gender-based violence and empowerment-based self-defense. They are designed to be highly inclusive of the range of experiences, backgrounds, and identities of our participants, and all of our coaches take part in continuous learning and development in diversity and inclusion and trauma-informed program delivery. |
The program seeks change by breaking down traditional binary gender roles in U.S. culture, in particular the narrative of women needing to be saved and men serving as saviors. This perpetuates a culture that treats women as lesser and weak. It places women at a severe disadvantage in sexual assault or harassment situations, especially when the assailant is an acquaintance, which is the case in most sexual assaults. Giving women and members of the LGTBQ+ community the tools to protect themselves – through awareness, voice, confidence, self-care, and advocacy as well as physical resistance skills – means they do not have to rely on a bystander who may or may not be present during an assault. Empowerment-based self defense training seeks to give individuals the confidence and skills to vocalize their wants and needs and to garner mutual respect in their relationships. |
The program is informed by ongoing academic research by psychologists and sociologists studying the long-term impact of empowerment-based self-defense on rates of assault and attempted assault. Research on empowerment-based self defense on college campuses has shown that participants experience increased confidence and assertiveness, improved self-esteem, and increased satisfaction with body image. (1)(2) Moreover, a recent study of empowerment-based self defense offered to college women found that one year after completing the program, students reduced their risk of completed rape by 46.3% compared to students in a control group who received only written materials about sexual assault prevention. Furthermore, students who completed the program experienced attempted rape at a rate of 3.4% vs. 9.3% for those in the control group.(3) Based on this research, programs offered by SETpoint include physical resistance skills as one part of the training among a number of other critical components: • Focus on data that clearly identify where the greatest risks of sexual assault lie, especially with acquaintances; • Clear messages that victims are never at fault in an assault; • Multiple options for protecting oneself and reclaiming power regardless of the outcome of an attempted attach, including option for help from legal, spiritual, or counseling professionals; • An emphasis on healthy relationships; • Discussion and practice setting boundaries in relationships and in physical space; • Trauma-informed instruction that carefully considers participants’ life experiences, especially related to sexual assault; • An intersectional consideration of participants’ backgrounds as they may relate to potential response options. (1) Hollander, Jocelyn “The Roots of Resistance to Women’s Self-Defense.” Violence Against Women 2009 15(5): 574-594. (2) Hollander, Jocelyn “Does Self-Defense Training Prevent Sexual Violence Against Women?” Violence Against Women 2014 20(3): 252-269. (3) Senn, Charlene et al. “Efficacy of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University Women.” NEJM 2015; 372:2326-35. |
Instructors use a trauma-informed approach in all sessions and workshops provided by SETpoint. Pilot sessions were conducted with counselors at rape crisis and addiction recovery centers, and feedback on creating a trauma-informed space during sessions was incorporated into the programs. Our programs emphasize that the only person responsible for an assault or harassment is the person who chooses to commit it. Our instructors have completed additional related training, including Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE), Difficult Dialogues, and 7 Pillars of Dignity & Respect training. |
