BREAKING BARRIERS
Breaking Barriers™ program empowers survivors of sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence through psychological, social, and physical empowerment self-defense.
SELF-
DEFENSE
Participants are taught techniques to help them feel prepared and empowered to defend themselves from dangerous
situations.
SAFETY
EDUCATION
Provide information regarding home, work, and travel. Creates a 'safety-mindset' to aid in day-to-day life interactions.
GROUP
PROCESSING
Survivors share their experiences and emotions in a safe and controlled environment, and utilizes evidence-based practices.
BACKGROUND
As the formation of GET SAFE was shaping in 1985, founder Stuart Haskin’s driving passion was to offer aid, solutions, and opportunities to survivors of sexual crime. After being certified by the state of California as a Crisis Intervention and Sexual Assault Counselor, Stuart built relationships with a variety of local Orange County crisis intervention and risk reduction agencies. A primarily strong partnership developed with an agency titled Waymakers, an agency providing restorative services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
The first model of the Breaking Barriers™ program was introduced in 1988 as the Spirit Warrior program. It was funded and supported by California's OC Regional Center for victims of sexual violence, and was tailored to provide trauma care, self-defense safety modules, psycho-educational classes on sexual assault, sex-trafficking, and rape.
The very essence and origination of GET SAFE was built upon the ideal of freedom for survivors. The first of GET SAFE’s primary operations were conducted in the fields of prevention, intervention, and restoration of sexual assault and sex trafficked survivors.
Breaking Barriers™ is the beautiful outcome of this story.
BREAKING THE CYCLE
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Reduced physical, sexual, and emotional assaults through empowerment education
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Unlock the potential for women to break the cycle of violent crime, trauma, and abuse
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Collaboration with community resources
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Integration of trauma-informed practices, self-defense, and psycho-education
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Empowerment Self-Defense Training
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Support system education & development
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Breaking of fear-based barriers
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Plugged into community resources, including workforce development, support groups, & additional services
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Continued self-defense training through GS Krava Maga
Breaking Barriers™
is a multidimensional
program intended to address
not only the psychological aspects of victimization, but also to trigger and relieve the physical trauma through empowerment self-defense exercises,
and role-playing
scenarios.
See video below for this training!
Before coming to GET SAFE, I didn't think I would ever feel whole again. I'm learning that I don't have to 'get over' what happened, but IT NO LONGER CONTROLS ME. IT MAKES ME STRONGER.
- Natalia, GET SAFE Graduate