Teaching women to take charge of their own safety is the number-one goal of the Rape Aggression Defense System (R.A.D.) class, said Harvard police officer and certified R.A.D. instructor Danielle Paganelli. The class, which will be taught at the police station in four separate sessions, begins Tuesday, March 4. It will be taught by Paganelli and Officer Kimberly Murphy.

The R.A.D. System is taught to women ages 13 and up all over the United States, with the goal of developing and enhancing women’s options for self-defense. Girls on the younger end of the age spectrum often benefit from taking the class with their moms, Paganelli suggested, and women of college age often find the class particularly useful as they head out into the wider world. But the curriculum is useful for women of any age, she said, as it helps educate women on the simple safety techniques and physical defense tactics that can mean the difference between avoiding danger and becoming a victim.

The four-session class starts with an overview of the unique risks women face with regard to sexual abuse and assault, progressing into instruction in the basics of hands-on defense training. Along the way, Paganelli and Murphy offer a number of helpful tips to help ensure safety in everyday situations like parking at the mall or going for a run.
“In a nutshell, we want to give you different scenarios and different risk-reduction options you can use, and show you physically what you can do,” Paganelli said.

While the class curriculum does give a broad overview of the risks faced by women in this day and age, the goal of R.A.D. instruction is empowering women rather than instilling fear, she explained. The class emphasizes the importance of conveying confidence through body language, teaching women to ward off potential danger by presenting themselves in a self-assured way.

Watching the women in the class develop confidence over the course of four sessions is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a R.A.D. instructor, Paganelli said, because it means a transformation has taken place.

“By day three they find their voice,” she said.

The R.A.D. class will be offered at the Harvard police station from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, Thursday, March 6, Monday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 12. Participants can register at the police station until Tuesday, Feb. 26, for a fee of $25 per person. Scholarships are available. Loose, comfortable clothing should be worn.

For more information, call Officer Kimberly Murphy or Officer Danielle Paganelli on the Harvard Police Department nonemergency line at 978-456-1212.