Women who have been sexually assaulted are at higher risk of depression, suicide attempts, and substance abuse.
"Populations Reports: Ending Violence Against Women" Populations Information Program, Center for Communication Programs. The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, December 1999.

Women who have been sexually assaulted are at higher risk of overeating, anxiety disorders, and smoking.
Koss, MP, Koss, PG, Woodruff, W. "Deleterious Effects of Criminal Victimization on Women's Health and Medical Utilization." Archives of Internal Medicine, 1991

"No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow."
— Alice Walker

Sexual assault is the crime least often reported to law enforcement. Varying studies put the report rate somewhere between 15 and 30 percent.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000. Criminal Victimization 1999: Changes 1998-1999 with Trends 1993-99. National Crime Victimization Survey. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice.

The rate of violence and assault in the United States over the last five decades has gone down. Most of this decline is in assaults on men; assault rates on women, while also decreasing, has been going down more slowly.
Violent Crime Rates by Gender of Victim, Bureau of Justice Statistics, The National Crime Victimization Survey and Uniform Crime Reports, 9/02

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."
— Helen Keller

Of surveyed college women, about 91% of rape and sexual assault victims knew their attacker prior to the assault.
Fisher, Bonnie S., Francis T. Cullen, and Michael G. Turner. "The Sexual Victimization of College Women." Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000.

Women with a childhood history of sexual abuse are 4.7 times more likely to be subsequently raped.
Merrill, L.L., et al. "Childhood Abuse and Sexual Revictimization in a Female Navy Recruit Sample." Naval Health Research Center, 1997

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."
— Alice Walker

The best predictors of a woman successfully fighting back against an assailant are first recognizing when an assault is in the making, and second trying one thing after another until she finds what works.
Bart, Pauline B. and Patricia H. O'Brien. Stopping Rape: Successful Survival Strategies. NY: Pergamon Press, 1985

"No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow."
— Alice Walker

80% of all women who only yell and run escape their attackers.
Stella Marrs

"A woman is like a tea bag – you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."
— Eleanor Roosevelt

Sexual assaults committed by strangers are far more likely to be reported to law enforcement, even though most assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Reporting Crime to the Police, 1992-2000, March 2003

"Because society cannot control the cost of ... violence after the crime has been committed, the best control mechanism is through prevention."
Post, et al., The Rape Tax, J Interp Violence 17(7):773, 2002.

"Power is the ability to do good things for others."
— Brooke Astor

"The thing women have got to learn is that nobody gives you power. You just take it."
— Roseanne Barr

Young women in college are at a slightly higher risk for sexual assault than are their peers not in college.
Fisher, B., F. Cullen and M. Turner (2000). The Sexual Victimization of College Women. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics

"I don't want to be a passenger in my own life."
— Diane Ackerman

Those who seek the help of sexual assault advocates are more likely to report their assault to law enforcement.
Campbell, Rebecca. Rape Survivor's Experiences with the Legal and Medical Systems: Do Rape Victim Advocates Make a Difference? (2006) Violence Against Women 12.

"Make the most of what you have, when you have it, where you are."
— Eleanor Roosevelt

"Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use."
— Ruth Gordon

An estimated 92,700 men are forcibly raped each year in the United States.
Tjaden, Patricia and Thoennes, Nancy. November 1998. Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice.

Located at (by appointment only):
1426 S Jackson St
Seattle WA 98144

Phone: (206) 202-0748

Mailing address:
Strategic Living Safety
and Self-Defense Training
PO Box 23157
Seattle WA 98102

Self-Defense: Because even the most predictable situations can deliver unpredictable moments

You know those encounters: a young dude eyeballing you across the parking lot or on the bus, a guy trying too hard to buy you a drink at the dance club, or the chatty friend of a friend introduced at a party begins asking questions a bit too personal. Maybe your brother-in-law is giving you a look that gives you the chills, a co-worker's barely appropriate "humor" puts you on edge, or a client's comments suggest his prime interest isn't business. Let's face it, every female over the age of 14 (and many under that age) has experienced a creepy approach.

The thought occurs to you that this person may be planning to harm you. How can you tell, and what can you do?

Strategic Living has a self-defense program for you.

Self-defense skills are not only for those few times in your life you have a scary encounter. Self-defense should be an integral part of your living strategy.

The good news is that Strategic Living has created a self-defense program that will support you in every one of these situations. You will learn to:

Recognize when someone is planning an assault
Ways you can use your voice and body language to prevent harm
Simple, effective physical skills to disable an attacker long enough for you to escape

You benefit in many ways:

Increase your odds of walking away from an encounter, unharmed
Experience fewer moments of discomfort, fear and chills down the spine
Become more confident in your career, relationship and personal life
Begin to regain your power after a scary, traumatizing experience
Know when and how to involve law enforcement so you'll be taken seriously and get results
Recognize early warning signs of danger for yourself and your children
Develop skills you can use throughout your life

If you are an individual looking for a self-defense class schedule, an organizer looking for a special session for your group, or a Human Resources/Benefits manager seeking to enhance your worksite's offerings, Strategic Living has a program for you!