These women know what violence is, and they are aware of its systemic nature. Despite their understandings of violence's pervasiveness, they refuse to believe that self-defense offers a way to respond to violence, physically and politically. Many women still don't believe they have options in dealing with violence. Teaching and learning self-defense is political because it challenges the ways we perceive women responding to violence. Women need to take action for themselves.
Social responses compound the lack of institutional response.
A survivor's friends and family may not even believe she's been assaulted, especially when the assailant is an acquaintance, friend, lover or family member. Becoming aware of sexual violence and its socio-political context is only the first step to defending oneself. Women need physical techniques to stop physical attacks. Fighting back depends upon women's ability to act for themselves. Again, resorting to more individualized responses to systemic violence may seem counter-productive, but this is not the case.