Girls–It’s Okay to be Rejected

It isn’t just boys who need to learn to hear the word “no.” I’m at a high school teaching our IMPACT:Ability program. We’re about 6 weeks into the program, so we’re starting to address some more uncomfortable topics. This week we’re doing dating scenarios, where...

Safety Tips for Women, Revised

“Don’t talk to strangers.” “Don’t walk alone at night.” “Use your keys as a weapon.” If you live in a body that society views as vulnerable, you have probably been the recipient of many safety tips. Often these are well-meaning, but too often they are also...

Timing is Everything

  I just completed IMPACT Boston’s 20-hour women’s core self-defense course. I’ve wanted to take one of these courses ever since the 1990s but I didn’t for a myriad of reasons. To say that I had one of the most physically and emotionally grueling 20-hour...

Survivors Teaching Survivors

Adriana Li is a Program Coordinator who has been with IMPACT Boston since July 2017. Adriana has a theater background but her passion for human service work led her on a career path that eventually landed her at IMPACT. She identifies as a survivor of child abuse, as...

When It’s One Of Us

Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, there have been many unsurprising revelations about men using their positions of power to harass and assault women with impunity. There have also been some surprising revelations—people whose public work reflected a...

Masculinity and Self-Defense

Teenage boys are not always the most eager audience for a self-defense class. Too often, gender expectations get in the way of learning. An important aspect of self-defense is refusing to let yourself be provoked—if an acquaintance or a stranger starts poking at your...

Why Didn’t She Report?

Content Warning: This post contains descriptions of predatory behavior I’ve heard the question, “Why didn’t she report it?” so many times I’ve run out of walls to bang my head on. It’s a question no one would be asking if we all took a genuine hard look at ourselves...