How to protect your college student from sexual violence. (3 simple steps)

You've done all the hard work to make it through high school graduation, navigate college admissions, fill out the FAFSA, hunt for financial aid and university tuition scholarships, but there's a critical step you may have missed in preparing your student for college.

Did you know that female college students are 3x more likely to be the victim of sexual violence than other women?

Whether it's coercion, verbal harassment, or rape, you can help protect your college student with these three simple steps. Because you won't be there all the time, protecting her means helping her be prepared. She has to get involved and take action for this to work. So you'll probably want to share this article with her, discuss it, and even practice these steps together.

#3. Exude Confidence.

It can feel intimidating to be in new place with new people. You haven't yet established friends, or found your niche. You might feel insecure for a while, but you don't need to communicate that to others. Here's why.

Through our body language, pace, tone of voice, volume, eye contact, we are constantly communicating something. Fear and insecurity are not safe signals to send because they tend to attract people who are looking to take advantage of an easy target. Think of a pack of wolves. They are predators who want to take down the young, less dangerous elk rather than fight the stronger adults. They want to eat, but they don't want to get hurt. Often, sexual predators have a similar mindset. They want a victim they can manipulate, coerce and control, but they usually avoid a confident person who acts like they can handle themselves.

You can exude confidence from Day One by practicing:

• good posture (straight back, shoulders back, face forward),

• clear speech (not too quiet, not self-deprecating or hesitant)

• looking people in the eyes

Spend some time practicing these in the mirror. For most people, just choosing to stand up straight and look up immediately increases their internal feelings of self-confidence.

#2. Invest in self-defense training.

When we feel threatened, our body fills with adrenaline. We tend to freeze up and have difficulty thinking rationally. The best way to respond appropriately is to train in adrenalized scenarios. Just like in sports, practice brings progress. Our bodies need to strike targets with full power and speed while adrenalized. Unless we train, we cannot expect to defend ourselves in the moment of need.

Peace Force online self-defense courses combine video teaching, adrenalized striking drills, and scenario role-play, which takes about 90 minutes total to complete and can be repeated as many times as needed. These courses cover the three pillars of self-defense:

1. PREVENTION. How to avoid a bad situation.

2. COMMUNICATION. How to transform a bad situation. Deal with conflict. Set boundaries.

3. PROTECTION. How to fight off an attacker and get to a safe place.

Each course includes a high quality strike pad (so you can practice with a partner at full speed and power) and a hand-held pepper spray (easy to keep on a keychain, backpack, pocket, or dorm room).

EXPLORE "Self-Defense Essentials" course HERE.

You don't need to be a martial arts expert or spend a week in classes, but some intentional self-defense training will go a long way in case of an attack.

#1. Stay sober.

The correlation between substance abuse and sexual violence is HUGE. Staying sober maintains your awareness and good judgment. But it's not just about you. About 2 out of 3 incidents of sexual assault involved a perpetrator who wasn't sober. This means choosing friends wisely, and finding places to hang out where people are not abusing drugs or alcohol.

This can be tough. You may feel like the odd person on campus. It might take some time to connect in social circles that don't involve substance abuse. But it's worth it. You're worth it.

If you have a habit of coping with stress with drugs or alcohol, this is a great time to develop some healthier habits. Think about it... college is a time to learn and grow so you can have a successful life. Why not form habits that improve your life rather than put you at risk. The stresses of college life will come, for sure. But you can intentionally develop ways to deal with it, like talking with a friend or family member, music, prayer, sports, exercise, or counseling.

PARENTS... way to go for taking the time to invest into your college student's safety. It could save them a lot of pain. If you want to give your student the gift of an online self-defense course click HERE.

STUDENTS... you've got this! You are strong. You are smart. You matter. You were created on purpose for a purpose. You will grow, learn, be challenged. There's no need to be afraid, just prepared. Be confident, get some training, and build some solid habits that will carry you into the future. Good days are ahead! Click here to receive a FREE Peace Force Training Video: "Prevent an Attack." Learn one of the top tips to staying out of harm's way.

About the Author:

Jarod Osborne is the Founder of Peace Force, a company whose mission is to help millions of people around the world learn self-defense and gain confidence. Jarod is a martial arts instructor, an ordained minister, a former law enforcement chaplain, a published author, and has a graduate degree from Princeton Seminary. More importantly, he is a husband and father with a heart for protecting people from violence and helping them overcome their fears.