The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is offering Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) classes designed exclusively for women ages 12 and older. The classes aim to equip participants with realistic self-defense tactics and techniques to enhance awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and avoidance strategies.
Scheduled to commence on April 23, the classes will continue on April 30, May 7, and May 14 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Each session will be conducted at the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office at 1225 Courthouse Rd. Registration for the upcoming class can be completed through this link.
R.A.D. classes are not martial arts programs but comprehensive courses certified instructors teach. Participants will receive a workbook/reference manual outlining the entire physical defense program for reference and continuous personal growth. The program emphasizes easy, effective, and proven self-defense tactics, ensuring women learn to make educated decisions about resistance.
The initiative comes as a response to the concerning statistics, with an average of 40 reported cases of rape in Stafford County annually over the past five years. Recognizing the need for proactive measures, the Sheriff’s Office aims to empower women through practical self-defense training.
With over 3500 certified instructors and nearly 160,000 women trained, R.A.D. Systems is recognized as the country’s largest and fastest-growing self-defense program for women and children. Its curriculum is endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and is taught at over 400 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada.
Interested individuals can contact First Sergeant Heather Torrance at [email protected] or call 540-658-5206 for inquiries and registration. Classes are limited to 30 participants, emphasizing personalized instruction and effective learning outcomes.
