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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2004
Contact: Edmond McDavis III
(662) 241-7851
Honsinger to teach Rape Aggression Defense at conference in Tupelo
COLUMBUS, Miss. – This weekend Sherry Honsinger of Mississippi University
for Women’s Police Department will teach two Rape Aggression Defense (RAD)
classes to approximately 80 participants.
Honsinger, who has been a certified member of Rape Aggression Defense
for a year now, will teach the self-defense sessions Saturday at 10 a.m.
at a conference sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints titled Girlfriends Forever in Tupelo.
“They do this conference every year and there are 10 churches that
participate from Mississippi and Alabama. It is offered for girls
12-years-old and up, and since they know that I teach RAD they asked me
to teach a class.”
Each 45-minute segment will feature a lecture and physical training
aimed at preventing abduction. At its conclusion, Honsinger will offer
to teach RAD to groups in the future.
“We [MUW’s Police Department] will either teach it or find someone
certified in their area to teach it. If they get the group together we
will come and teach anywhere.”
Honsinger, a member of MUW’s Police Department for five years in her
roles as traffic clerk, secretary and daytime dispatcher, said teaching
RAD has “become a passion.”
“It stirred an interest in me about sexual assault and violent crimes
against women.”
The main goal of RAD is awareness. Participants of the full program must
go through a 12-hour class.
“It worries me that women seem to think that if we are where we are
supposed to be we will be protected…that if we are not in a bad
neighborhood we are protected. Sexual assault happens everywhere, even
in dating relationships.”
Honsinger has a son and two daughters. She has taught at least 12
classes with her daughter, Sara, who also works at MUW’s Police
Department.
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