Group Project Assignment: Beyond the Basics: Understanding Identity-Based Barriers to Safety
Objective: Design and present an educational presentation with handouts or resource aimed at how issues such as race, sexual orientation/expression, age, or socioeconomic status impact self-defense, empowerment, or interpersonal violence awareness.
Suggested Topics:
- Race and Reporting: How racial bias affects access to support systems (e.g. law enforcement, shelters, legal justice)
- Disability and Defense: Barriers and adaptations for self-defense training for individuals with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities
- Transgender Women and Violence: The unique risks and lack of protections faced by trans women in violence protection
- Socioeconomic Status and Access to Resources: How income affects one's ability to access self-defense training, counseling, and legal help
- Teen Dating Violence: Power dynamics, lack of education, and how early experiences with violence shape perceptions
- Cultural Stigma & Silence: How different cultural backgrounds may influence speaking up or seeking help
- Undocumented Status & Fear of Reporting: Exploring how immigration status prevents access to help and safety
- Historical Trauma & Violence: Intergenerational violence in communities affected by colonization, racism, and systemic oppression
