Feeling safe and building trust comes before learning. A basic course can offer enough concepts and skills to help you develop self-protection strategies that you can continue to build upon. Self-defense is not karate or martial arts training. It does not require years of study to perfect. There are women who have successfully improvised and prevented an assault and never have taken a class.
Rape survivors speak eloquently about emotional hurts lasting long after physical hurts heal.
Studies show a physical self-defense response does not increase the level of injury, and sometimes decreases the likelihood. Also, women going along with the attacker have sometimes been brutally injured anyway. Knowing some physical techniques increases the range of possible self-defense options, but the decision to choose a physical option must remain with the person in the situation. Choosing a self-defense class is a serious decision and is preferably based on some research. Responsible self-defense training requires control.