'My Body My Life' students get hands-on training

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Justin Nichols
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Students in the latest "My Body My Life" sexual assault prevention course received hands-on-training - literally - thanks to their "attacker" wearing a full-body padded suit during class Nov. 19.

My Body My Life is a two-hour class that educates women on the realities of sexual assault and how they can make themselves less vulnerable to attack.

The body suit is very practical in teaching students how to repel an attacker. "You actually get to experience the reality of fighting off an attacker," said Tena Dominguez, the Vance AFB Sexual Assault Victim Advocate.

"If I am in a situation where I am threatened and alone I will have experience protecting myself," said Samantha Ingram, spouse of 2nd Lt. Keanon Ingram with the 71st Student Squadron. Ingram said she benefitted as a student from practicing attacker repelling techniques with a person in a full-body suit.

The course covers a wide variety of topics, including: Awareness, Empowerment, Relationships, Self-Esteem and Abuse, Alcohol and Drugs, Date Rape, Violent Rape and Cyber Cautions. Two of these topics are taught during each class.

According to Dominguez, 75 percent of all Air Force sexual assaults are alcohol related, one in every six women will be sexually assaulted in their life time and 80 percent of those knew their attacker. One sexual assault occurs every two minutes in America.

Fifty-seven percent of rapes happen while on dates and 38 percent of the women raped are between the ages of 14-17.

These numbers are why educating women is the best defense against sexual assault.

My Body My Life has four instructors, each of which are specially trained by the Norman (Okla.) Police Department. Classes are offered once a month at the Community Chapel Activity Center from 5 to 7 p.m.

The classes are available to women ages 13 and older.

There is a My Body My Life course for gentlemen in the works but there is no class schedule as of yet.

For more information on the My Body My Life class or the class schedule, contact the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator team at 580-213-5597.