The Stories

Katie´s Story may be read in one of the first lessons. It should be followed by a leaded discussion. The students will learn that self defense is not restricted to physical actions, but involves also things like being attentive, asking for help and using their voice.

There are two versions of the story. In version one a girl - Katie - is followed by a man on her way home and then attacked by him.

In version two the man first bothers Katie in the tram, then he follows and attacks her.

The first story (without the situation in the tram) is written for younger girls (age of ten - eleven). The second story, which is somewhat more complex, is for girls at the age of twelve and above.

The Lesson

You start with reading one of the stories to the group. Then you ask how Katie could have protected herself before the attack happened. The students will reflect over this - either each one individually or in small groups.

When they have finished, the results are gathered and discussed by the whole group.

Different Possibilities to Act

While thinking and talking about Katie´s Story, the students will find out that there are many possibilities to protect themselves. They will also see that it is best to act as early as possible.

Attacks on women or girls like the one on Katja start rarely with an immediate physical confrontation. More often the attacker starts with bothering the woman/ girl in a 'light' way and testing their reaction - so he sees if they will offer resistance to a physical attack. Or he watches the woman/ girl for a while before starting an attack.

In this situation a woman/ girl has many possibilities to protect herself. The things she can do now are coming out of everyday life; they require neither special knowledge of self defense nor too much energy. The longer she waits, the less possibilities to act she will have. At the same time she will need much more energy for her reactions:

Asking someone I don´t know for help surely costs some effort. Yet it is still easier and safer than to face a physical confrontation with the attacker.

In the "tram"-version of the story
Katie for example could do one of these things:

• Being still in the tram she could ask the man loudly to stop bothering her.
• She could ask another passenger for help or go to the driver (if accessible)
• change the seat
• - in the busy street - ask the man loudly to stop following her
• shout at him or shout for help
• ask a passer-by for help
• go into a shop or a bar, ask there for help or phone from there the parents, other members of her family or the police

Not every action may be right for every girl. Many girls or even women won´t talk directly to a man who is bothering them. Or perhaps the parents are not at home, so that they cannot be called. Therefore it is a good idea to do some role-plays and have some more discussions in the following lessons; so the students can find out which actions are right for themselves.

By the way:

Of course somebody who is bothering a woman or a girl does not in any case plan an attack on them. But it is always good to stop this kind of behaviour as fast as possible - to have a good feeling and free energy again.

The Attacker is responsible!