Program Development of She Fights Forward!: Healing Through Martial Arts for Women Survivors of Sexual Violence

Abstract

Sexual violence disrupts functioning in survivors, with many experiencing complex mental health symptomology after assault. Women survivors of sexual violence may be interested in martial arts to prevent nonconsensual encounters; however, many martial arts gyms do not offer accommodating services to survivors because they lack trauma-informed programs. The development of a trauma-informed women’s grappling program creates space for women to heal from sexual violence by learning self-defense in a protected environment. She Fights Forward! is a program proposal for an experiential group for survivors to increase self-efficacy by learning grappling martial arts.