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Making a Case for Personal SafetyPerceptions of Vulnerability and Desire for Self-Defense Training among Female Veterans
University of Washington
Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System We assessed perceptions of vulnerability and the desire for personal safety/selfdefense (PS/SD) training among 67 female veterans receiving outpatient mental health treatment, primarily for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from sexual and/or physical trauma. Consistent with the literature on the impact of such training on nonclinical populations and on individuals with visual impairments, the results of this study indicate that traumatized female veterans believe that PS/SD training would be an effective and powerful additionto more traditional treatments for PTSD. Study participants indicated they believe such training would positively affect their sense of personal safety; promote increased competencein thwarting future assaults; improve their self-esteem, confidence, and assertiveness; and reduce avoidant and agoraphobic behaviors. These pilot results support the development of an adjunct intervention to augment current PTSD treatments for women veterans with histories of sexual and physical trauma.
Key Words: PTSD women veterans personal safety
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 19, No. 9,
991-1001 (2004) This article has been cited by other articles:
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