Self-Defense Training to Reduce Violence Against Women and Girls: An Integrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a serious threat to individual and public health with vast negative impacts, including numerous physical and mental health issues, as well as societal and economic consequences. Numerous women's self-defense interventions have been proposed to reduce the risk of victimization. AIMS: The current integrative review, based on Whittemore and Knafl's framework, was completed to synthesize current evidence on women's self-defense training, the impact of such training on outcomes related to VAWG, and evaluate the strength of evidence for women's self-defense training interventions. METHODS: A systematic literature search, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, was performed including a comprehensive computer-assisted database search, as well as citation searching and website searching for studies that included quantitative outcomes related to VAGW published between 2011 and 2023. Data were extracted and analyzed in accordance with Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) methodology, and the body of evidence was synthesized and best evidence recommendations developed based on the ©The Johns Hopkins Hospital/The Johns Hopkins University Evidence-Based Practice Model. RESULTS: Ultimately, 19 publications met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Key findings included strong evidence for women's self-defense training to reduce attempted rape, completed rape, and nonconsensual sexual contact, as well as emerging evidence for reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, among other positive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed in more diverse populations at risk for violence and to identify key characteristics of effective interventions, including optimal content and dose.

Metodología para incrementar la velocidad de reacción durante la defensa personal en cadetes

La preparación física, como parte del entrenamiento de los cadetes, busca poner en óptimo estado al practicante, perfecciona sus aptitudes naturales y desarrolla al máximo sus capacidades físicas por medio de ejercicios sistemáticos. En ese sentido, la velocidad de reacción durante la defensa personal constituye un importante aspecto a tratar; sin embargo, la observación y análisis de la realidad educativa en el Instituto de Enseñanza Superior del Ministerio del Interior, en Santiago de Cuba, reveló insuficiencias que limitan el logro de altos niveles en la velocidad de reacción. El objetivo del estudio consistió en elaborar una metodología para el desarrollo de la velocidad de reacción durante la defensa personal, en los cadetes de la carrera Ciencias de la Seguridad del Estado del Ministerio del Interior. En esa línea de pensamiento, se realizó una investigación con enfoque mixto y diseño cuasi experimental que empleó como métodos empíricos la revisión documental, la observación científica y la entrevista no estructurada; se utilizó la estadística inferencial por medio de la prueba de rangos de Wilcoxon para muestras relacionadas, lo que permitió conocer la eficiencia de los ejercicios especiales que se aplicaron. La calidad de la metodología quedó corroborada por los resultados obtenidos en la aplicación del criterio de expertos en la variante "Delphi" y del prexperimento, confirmados por diferentes técnicas estadísticas que resaltan la funcionalidad, sostenibilidad, pertinencia y factibilidad de la propuesta.

A preparação física, como parte do treinamento dos cadetes, busca colocar o praticante em ótimas condições, aperfeiçoar suas aptidões naturais e desenvolver ao máximo suas capacidades físicas por meio de exercícios sistemáticos. Nesse sentido, a velocidade de reação durante a defesa pessoal é um aspecto importante a ser abordado; no entanto, a observação e a análise da realidade educacional no Instituto de Ensino Superior do Ministério do Interior, em Santiago de Cuba, revelaram insuficiências que limitam a obtenção de altos níveis de velocidade de reação. O objetivo do estudo foi elaborar uma metodologia para o desenvolvimento da velocidade de reação durante a autodefesa, em cadetes do curso de Ciências de Segurança do Estado do Ministério do Interior. Nessa linha de pensamento, foi realizada uma pesquisa com abordagem mista e desenho quase experimental, utilizando como métodos empíricos a revisão documental, a observação científica e a entrevista não estruturada; foi utilizada a estatística inferencial por meio do teste de postos de Wilcoxon para amostras relacionadas, o que permitiu conhecer a eficiência dos exercícios especiais aplicados. A qualidade da metodologia foi corroborada pelos resultados obtidos na aplicação de critérios de especialistas na variante "Delphi" e no pré-experimento, confirmados por diferentes técnicas estatísticas que destacam a funcionalidade, a sustentabilidade, a relevância e a viabilidade da proposta.

Physical preparation, as part of training of the cadets, seeks to put the practitioner in optimal condition, perfects their natural aptitudes and develops their physical capabilities to the maximum through systematic exercises. In this sense, the speed of reaction during self-defense is an important aspect to address; however, the observation and analysis of the educational reality at the Institute of Higher Education of the Ministry of the Interior, in Santiago de Cuba, revealed insufficiencies that limit the achievement of high levels in reaction speed. The objective of the study was to develop a methodology for the development of reaction speed during self-defense, in the cadets of the State Security Sciences career of the Ministry of the Interior. In this line of thought, research was carried out with a mixed approach and quasi-experimental design that used documentary review, scientific observation and unstructured interviews as empirical methods; inferential statistics was used through the Wilcoxon rank test for related samples, which made it possible to know the efficiency of the special exercises that were applied. The quality of the methodology was corroborated by the results obtained in the application of expert criteria in the "Delphi" variant and of the pre-experiment, confirmed by different statistical techniques that highlight the functionality, sustainability, relevance and feasibility of the proposal.

3α-Hydroxybufadienolides in Bufo gallbladders: structural insights and biotransformation.

Bufadienolides, naturally occurring steroids primarily found in toads, have garnered attention for their pharmacological properties and ecological significance. In this study, we isolated and identified 21 bufadienolides from the gallbladders of Bufo gargarizans, comprising four new compounds and 17 known ones. Notably, the predominance of 15 bufadienolides with a 3α-OH configuration in toad bile differs significantly from the 3ß-OH bufadienolides found in venom secreted by toad glands. Moreover, our investigation into the biotransformation of 3ß-OH and 3α-OH bufadienolides in the liver and kidney tissues of toads revealed an irreversible conversion from 3ß-OH to 3α-OH bufadienolides, suggesting a crucial role in toad self-detoxification. These findings provide valuable insights into the structural diversity of bufadienolides and advance our understanding of their medical and ecological significance.

The Importance of Reflexivity in Program Development: A Case Study Involving Teaching Self-Defense to Middle School Girls in PE Class.

This research used a self-defense program to explore how middle school girls could change their perspectives on the gendered roles of victim and protector within an empowered self-defense approach. Taking the dual role of researcher and self-defense instructor, I developed a program to influence changing information strips directed toward gender norms, behavior, and discourse. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilized due to its intersection of the researcher's experience, literature, and theory. The research consisted of 40 girls journaling and 23 girls completing a post-program survey. Findings suggested that reflexive body techniques through self-defense could potentially impact internalized gendered information strips.

Sexual Assault Among Young Adolescents in Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya: Findings from the IMPower and SOS Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Sexual assault is a global threat to adolescent health, but empowerment self-defense (ESD) interventions have shown promise for prevention. This study evaluated the joint implementation of a girls' ESD program and a concurrent boys' program, implemented via a cluster-randomized controlled trial in informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya, from January 2016 to October 2018. Schools were randomized to the 12-h intervention or 2-h standard of care. Students were randomly sampled to complete surveys at baseline and again at 24 months post-intervention. A total of 3263 girls, ages 10-14, who completed both baseline and follow-up surveys were analyzed; weights were adjusted for dropout. At follow-up, 5.9% (n = 194/3263) of girls reported having been raped in the prior 12 months. Odds of reporting rape were not significantly different in the intervention versus SOC group (OR: 1.21; 95% CI (0.40, 5.21), p = 0.63). Secondary outcomes, social self-efficacy (OR: 1.08; 95% CI (0.95, 1.22), p = 0.22), emotional self-efficacy (OR 1.07; 95% CI (0.89, 1.29), p = 0.49), and academic self-efficacy (OR: 0.90; 95% CI (0.82, 1.00), p = 0.06) were not significantly different. Exploratory analyses of boys' victimization and perpetration are reported. This study improved on previous ESD studies in this setting with longitudinal follow-up of individuals and independent data collection. This study did not show an effect of the intervention on self-reported rape; findings should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations. Sexual assault rates are high in this young population, underscoring a dire need to implement and rigorously test sexual assault prevention interventions in this setting. The trial was registered with Clinical Trials.gov # NCT02771132. Version 3.1 registered on May 2017, first participant enrolled January 2017.

Understanding the Impact of Vaccination and Self-Defense Measures on Epidemic Dynamics Using an Embedded Optimization and Evolutionary Game Theory Methodology.

Explaining how individual choice and government policy can appear in the same context in real society is one of the most challenging scientific problems. Controlling infectious diseases requires effective prevention and control measures, including vaccination and self-defense measures. In this context, optimal control strategies incorporating vaccination and self-defense measures have been proposed using the framework of evolutionary game theory. This approach accounts for individuals' behavior and interactions in a population. It can provide insights into the effectiveness of different strategies for controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The optimal control strategy involves balancing the costs and benefits of vaccination, considering the dynamic interplay between the infected and susceptible populations. By combining evolutionary game theory with optimal control theory, we can identify the optimal allocation of resources for vaccination and self-defense measures, which can maximize the control of infectious diseases while minimizing costs. The model is utilized to analyze public health policies diseases, such as vaccination and self-defense strategies, to mitigate the spread of infectious in the context of delayed decision-making.

Empowerment Through Feminist Self-Defense: The IMPACT Lasts.

What do women learn in feminist self-defense that is empowering? This study examined the skills women used months and years after completing an IMPACT self-defense course. Ninety-seven survey participants described skills they had used and incorporated into their lives. The major themes that emerged through a classic grounded theory analysis were awareness, boundary setting, assertive body language, and managing adrenaline to prevent, interrupt, or stop uncomfortable, intrusive, or hostile behaviors. IMPACT-trained women did not engage in self-blaming or risky behavior and used their skills to prevent and interrupt aggressive behavior.

Vacuoles and peroxisomes are involved in Aspergillus fumigatus gliotoxin production and self-protection.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that can cause a variety of human diseases known as aspergillosis. Mycotoxin gliotoxin (GT) production is important for its virulence and must be tightly regulated to avoid excess production and toxicity to the fungus. GT self-protection by GliT oxidoreductase and GtmA methyltransferase activities is related to the subcellular localization of these enzymes and how GT can be sequestered from the cytoplasm to avoid increased cell damage. Here, we show that GliT:GFP and GtmA:GFP are localized in the cytoplasm and in vacuoles during GT production. Peroxisomes are also required for proper GT production and self-defense. The Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) kinase MpkA is essential for GT production and self-protection, interacts physically with GliT and GtmA and it is necessary for their regulation and subsequent presence in the vacuoles. Our work emphasizes the importance of dynamic compartmentalization of cellular events for GT production and self-defense.

Australia's Divergent Legal Responses to Women Who Kill Their Abusive Partners.

Concerns over the legal treatment of women who kill in response to domestic abuse have driven several jurisdictions to reform their homicide laws in recent years. This article examines how abused women are currently treated within the Australian legal system by analyzing homicide cases involving women prosecuted for killing an abusive partner in Australia from 2010 to 2020. The findings reveal the limitations of legal reforms to improve access to justice for abused women. Instead, there needs to be an increased focus toward pre-trial stages of criminal proceedings and to address persistent misconceptions and stereotypes associated with domestic abuse.

In Their Own Words: Sexual Assault Resistance Strategies Among Kenyan Adolescent Girls Following Participation in an Empowerment Self-Defense Program.

The purpose of this study was to examine, via testimonial data, resistance strategies used to thwart a sexual assault among slum-dwelling Kenyan adolescent girls (N = 678) following their participation in an empowerment self-defense program (IMpower). The majority (58.2%) of perpetrators were strangers; there were no differences in resistance strategies used between strangers versus known perpetrators (83.8% used verbal strategies, 33.2% used resistance strategies, 16.7% ran away, and 7.9% used distraction). Associations between resistance strategies and perpetrator tactics, number of assailants, location of the assault, and the presence of a bystander were also examined.

Beyond Sexual Assault Prevention: Targeted Outcomes for Empowerment Self-Defense.

Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) has been shown to be effective in reducing risk of sexual assault victimization among women, but because research in this area is still in its infancy, less is known about additional intervention outcomes that may explain how and why the intervention is effective and about other ways that ESD affects students. The purpose of this study was to examine ESD instructor perspectives about intervention outcomes they perceive to be most important for their students. Using qualitative case-study methodology, interviews from 15 ESD instructors from the United States and Canada were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis, which yielded six themes: Agency, boundaries, core beliefs, health and healing, somatic experiences, and gender and intersectionality, with each theme having two or more subthemes. Although some of these outcomes have been quantitatively evaluated in previous ESD studies, over half (n = 10) have not yet been empirically measured and are the focus of this article. These 10 outcomes include enactment, self-determination, nonverbal communication, relationship quality, self-worth, healing, physical strength and power, downregulation, support and solidarity, and societal-level changes. In addition to developing standardized tools to measure these outcomes, future research should quantitatively evaluate these outcomes across diverse student populations and explore their effect on producing the profound outcome associated with ESD, which is reduced risk for sexual assault victimization.

Self-Defense and Police Reporting of Intimate Partner Violent Victimization: A Comparison of White, Black, and Hispanic Women Victims.

Although the use of self-defense is common in incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV), correlates of self-protective behaviors in IPV are less known. Furthermore, while research has examined the unintended consequence of dual arrest as a result of using self-defense in IPV incidents, research has not examined whether self-defense is associated with the likelihood of reporting the victimization to the police. The purpose of this study is to first examine the racial differences in the use of self-defense in incidents of IPV. Second, this study examines the relationship between the use of physical self-defense and formal help-seeking (i.e., calling the police) and whether those relationships vary across race/ethnicity for White, Black, and Hispanic women. Using a large nationally representative sample of IPV incidents in the United States, this study found that incidents with Black female victims were more likely to feature physical self-defense compared to incidents with White female victims. Furthermore, incidents with Black female victims were more likely to be reported to the police. There was a positive relationship between physical self-defense and reporting to the police for Black women and an inverse relationship between physical self-defense and reporting to the police for Hispanic women.

Using Antipsychotics for Self-Defense Purposes by Care Staff in Residential Aged Care Facilities: An Ethical Analysis.

People with dementia at times exhibit threatening and physically aggressive behavior toward care staff in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Current clinical guidelines recommend judicious use of antipsychotic (AP) medications when there is an immediate risk of harm to care staff in RACFs and non-pharmacological interventions have failed to avert the threats. This article examines an account of how this recommendation can be ethically defensible: caregivers in RACFs may have a prima facie ethical justification, in certain cases, to use APs as an act of self-defense. The author examines whether such uses of APs meet the three commonly invoked conditions of ethically permissible acts of self-defense-namely, the conditions of liability, proportionality, and necessity-and argues that such conditions obtain only in a restricted range of cases. The liability constraint can be satisfied if residents are the only ones who are causally responsible for the threats they pose. Further, the condition of proportionality obtains if there is sufficient objective ground to demonstrate that the harm of using the medications does not outweigh the good to be secured. Lastly, the necessity condition obtains when the medications are used at their lowest effective dosage and caregivers in RACFs can reasonably assume that, for the purpose of averting threats posed by residents, the use of APs is the only available course of action. Not meeting any of these fairly stringent conditions renders uses of APs as acts of self-defense in RACFs morally impermissible actions.

'I have used up my entire youth in the bush': the Comités de Autodefensa during and after the Peruvian internal armed conflict.

Youngsters participate as combatants at the forefront of armed conflicts around the globe, be it as part of state forces, as members of rebel groups, or as drivers of armed civilian resistance. This contribution explores the social trajectories of (ex-)civil self-defense militia members in Peru who fought alongside the state forces to defeat the Maoist rebels of Shining Path in the 1980 and 1990s. On the one hand, by taking the Peruvian Comités de Autodefensa (CAD) as a somewhat atypical case-study, the article aims to enhance a more nuanced understanding of youth as drivers of and participants in civil war violence which transcends the victim-perpetrator dichotomy. On the other, by analyzing the social trajectories of CAD leaders and members from their youth until the present, it seeks to gain insight into ex-combatants' claims for recognition, reparation and citizenship in the aftermath of armed conflict. The trajectories of the CAD members demonstrate how the morality of soldiering, steered by ideas about masculinity, militarism and patriotism, gets intertwined with structural societal conditions such as the lack of educational and economic perspectives for youngsters, and the state's failure to provide protection and security against rebel group violence to those who might need it most. In the aftermath of the conflict, militia service and the corresponding macho warrior identity form a basis of demands for inclusion by an historically marginalized rural population group. The findings on the Peruvian self-defense committees presented in this article have several implications for research and policy in the fields of Transitional Justice and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, and open both thematic and conceptual avenues for further research into civilian participation in armed conflicts around the globe.

Implementation of empowerment self-defense programming in a university counseling center: An effective sexual violence prevention delivery model.

Objective: Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a sexual violence prevention approach backed by rigorous empirical research, yet its availability on college campuses is limited. This manuscript evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of an ESD program embedded within a university counseling center. Methods: Participants completed an 8-session ESD intervention and group counseling program. Results: Feasibility and acceptability of this program were demonstrated by excellent participant retention and supported by institutional buy-in and counselor involvement. Pre-post assessments demonstrated that participants reported significant reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms, F (1, 56) = 22.46, p < .001 and improvements in both interpersonal self-efficacy, F (1, 56) = 88.81, p < .001, and self-defense self-efficacy, F (1, 56) = 100.20, p < .001. Conclusion: The findings support the use of ESD programming as part of college campus sexual violence efforts and provide a blueprint for administrators and college mental-health centers who wish to offer this effective program to the college students they serve.

Entrenamiento sistemático de defensa personal en la Escuela Superior Naval / Formação sistemática em autodefesa na Escola Secundária Naval / Systematic self-defense training at the Naval High School

RESUMEN La defensa personal en la Fuerza Naval es una de las competencias fundamentales del profesional militar, el perfeccionamiento del proceso de maestría en las artes marciales mixtas requiere de diagnósticos sistemáticos, evidencia alcances y limitaciones y, por ende, la toma de decisiones acertadas para mejorar el proceso. En tal sentido, se planteó como propósito de la investigación: diagnosticar necesidades en la defensa personal sistemática de la Escuela Superior Naval. La Investigación es exploratoria con enfoque descriptivo-explicativo y correlacional; se realiza selección bajo un muestreo intencional de 20 oficiales navales. Estos responden a encuestas cerradas que justificarán el diseño prospectivo de un proceso de intervención a futuro. La autoevaluación de los especialistas demuestra que el 40 % posee una calificación Buena en el dominio de técnicas de karate-do, boxeo y judo y el 30 % una calificación mala. Estos valores indican que son similares durante la aplicación correcta de técnicas de karate-do (45 %: bueno; 15 %: malo), boxeo (65 %: bueno; 0 %: malo) y judo (40 %: bueno; 25 %: malo), mientras que los indicadores pertinencia (4.30 puntos), factibilidad (3.40 puntos), prioridad (4.55 puntos) e integralidad. (4.40 puntos). Estos valores justificaron la necesidad de implementar un proceso de intervención para perfeccionar la defensa personal en marinos. En el estudio, prevalece una concordancia aceptable entre los especialistas (0.526). La consulta a especialistas muestra la necesidad de implementar un proceso de entrenamiento sistemático de defensa personal en la Escuela Superior Naval. Se presentan como positivos los indicadores de pertinencia, factibilidad, prioridad e integralidad, en el diseño de un proceso prospectivo para brindar superación profesional al personal naval ecuatoriano en el aspecto de la defensa personal.

RESUMO A autodefesa na Força Naval é uma das competências fundamentais do profissional militar. A melhoria do processo de domínio nas artes marciais mistas requer diagnósticos sistemáticos, provas de alcances e limitações e, portanto, a tomada de decisões corretas para melhorar o processo. Neste sentido, o objectivo da investigação era diagnosticar as necessidades em autodefesa sistemática na Escola Superior Naval. A investigação é exploratória com uma abordagem descritiva-explicativa e correlativa; foi selecionada uma amostra propositada de 20 oficiais navais. Responderam a inquéritos fechados que justificarão a concepção prospectiva de um futuro processo de intervenção. A auto avaliação dos especialistas mostra que 40% têm uma boa classificação no domínio do Karate-do, boxe e técnicas de judô e 30% uma má classificação. Estes valores indicam que são semelhantes durante a aplicação correta do Karate-do (45 %: bom; 15 %: mau), do boxe (65 %: bom; 0 %: mau) e do judô (40 %: bom; 25 %: mau) técnicas, enquanto que os indicadores relevância (4,30 pontos), viabilidade (3,40 pontos), prioridade (4,55 pontos) e abrangência (4,40 pontos). Estes valores justificaram a necessidade de implementar um processo de intervenção para melhorar a autodefesa dos marítimos. No estudo, prevalece um acordo aceitável entre os especialistas (0,526). A consulta com especialistas mostra a necessidade de implementar um processo sistemático de formação em autodefesa na Academia Naval. Os indicadores de relevância, viabilidade, prioridade e abrangência são apresentados como positivos na concepção de um processo prospectivo para proporcionar desenvolvimento profissional ao pessoal naval equatoriano na área da autodefesa.

ABSTRACT Self-defense in the Naval Force is one of the fundamental competencies of the military professional, the improvement of the mastery process in mixed martial arts requires systematic diagnoses, evidence of scope and limitations and, therefore, making the right decisions to improve the process. In this sense, it was proposed as the purpose of the research: to diagnose needs in the systematic self-defense of the Higher Naval School. The research is exploratory with a descriptive-explanatory and correlational approach; selection is made under an intentional sampling of 20 naval officers. These respond to closed surveys that will justify the prospective design of a future intervention process. The self-assessment of the specialists shows that 40% have a Good rating in mastering karate-do, boxing and judo techniques and 30 % a Bad rating. These values indicate that they are similar during the correct application of karate-do techniques (45 %: Good; 15 %: Bad), Boxing (65 %: Good; 0%: Bad) and Judo (40 %: Good; 25 %: Bad), while the indicators Relevance (4.30 points), Feasibility (3.40 points), Priority (4.55 points) and Comprehensiveness. (4.40 points). These values justified the need to implement an intervention process to improve self-defense in sailors. In the study, an acceptable concordance prevails among the specialists (0.526). Consultation with specialists shows the need to implement a systematic self-defense training process at the Naval High School. The indicators of relevance, feasibility, priority and comprehensiveness are presented as positive in the design of a prospective process to provide professional improvement to Ecuadorian naval personnel in the aspect of self-defense.

Violence against healthcare workers br Hungarian experiences / Egészségügyi dolgozók ellen elkövetett eroszakos cselekedetek

Introduction: Violence against healthcare workers damages not only the health and dignity of employees but also the safety and productivity of institutions. Violence in healthcare also poses a threat to patient safety and the quality of patient care. Objective: The aim of the research is to get an idea of whether healthcare workers in Hungarian healthcare institu-tions, if they get involved in violent conflict, have someone to turn to at their workplace. It aims to explore whether communication, simulation and self-defense trainings are held in institutions, and to examine the relationship be-tween these prevention and treatment trainings with confidence. Method: Cross-sectional quantitative research has been conducted with an online questionnaire involving 720 health professionals. Results: It can be stated that when an atrocity hits a healthcare worker, he or she turns to his or her colleague during the violence and, after atrocity, asks the head nurse or a psychologist for help in processing the problem. 52% of verbal violence and 45% of physical violence were not reported by employees. A very high percentage (39%) of work-ers do not even know who to turn to if they are subjected to violent atrocity. The data show that communication training alone is not enough to make healthcare workers confident. However, participation in this training does not significantly reduce the average number of atrocities experienced in a year. Conclusion: The results obtained may also signal the need for communication training, but it is not enough in itself, it should be followed by simulation practice as well as self-defense education and practice. Participating in other communication or violence prevention training increases the confidence of healthcare workers, but communication training alone does not. There is no reporting obligation in the institutions so a lot of atrocities remain hidden.

Defensive gun use: What can we learn from news reports?

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, most people who buy and own guns are doing so for self-defense. Yet little is known about actual defensive gun use in the USA. METHODS: To discover what information newspaper articles and local news reports might add, we read the news reports of defensive use incidents assembled by the Gun Violence Archive. We examined a sample of more than a quarter of the incidents from 2019, the last year before the pandemic. We examined all cases from four months-January, April, July, and October. We created a typology of defensive gun use incidents. RESULTS: Of 418 incidents, in about half, the perpetrator was armed with a firearm. In almost 90% of the cases, the victim fired their firearm-315 perpetrators were shot and about half of them died. The average number of perpetrators shot per incident was 0.75; the average number of victims shot was 0.25. We estimate that in 2019 fewer than 600 potential perpetrators were killed in defensive gun use incidents that made the news. Among the thirteen categories of shooting were drug-related (4% of incidents), gang-like combat (6%), romantic partner disputes (11%), escalating arguments (13%), store robberies (9%), street robberies (5%), unoccupied vehicle theft (5%), unarmed burglaries (7%), home invasions (20%), and miscellaneous (6%). CONCLUSION: We believe the Gun Violence Archive dataset includes the large majority of news reports of defensive gun use-and especially those in which the perpetrator is shot and dies. Some of the strengths of using news reports as a data source are that we can be certain that the incident occurred, and the reports provide us with a story behind the incident, one usually vetted in part by the police with occasional input from the victims, perpetrator, family, witnesses, or neighbors. Defensive gun use situations are quite diverse, and among the various categories of defensive gun use, a higher percentage of incidents in some of the categories seemed far less likely to be socially beneficial (e.g., drug-related, gang-like, escalating arguments) than in others (e.g., home invasions).

Analysis of the Contact Area for Three Types of Upper Limb Strikes.

Performance in strike combat sports is mostly evaluated through the values of the net force, acceleration, or speed to improve efficient training procedures and/or to assess the injury. There are limited data on the upper limb striking area, which can be a useful variable for contact pressure assessment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the contact area of the upper limb in three different strike technique positions. A total of 38 men and 38 women (n = 76, 27.3 ± 8.5 years of age, 73.9 ± 13.8 kg of body weight, 173.3 ± 8.4 cm of body height) performed a static simulation of punch with a fist, palm strike, and elbow strike, where three segments of the right upper limb were scanned. The analysis of 684 images showed a correlation (r = 0.634) between weight and punch technique position in men and significant differences in elbow strike (p < 0.001) and palm strike (p < 0.0001) between women and men. In both groups, the palm demonstrated the largest area and the elbow the smallest one. These data may be used to evaluate strike contact pressure in future studies in forensic biomechanics and assessment of injury in combat sports and self-defense.