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Self-Defense on Campus
1 You’re tired; you’re hungry. You’ve just spent a long day at College Library and
you can’t wait to get back to your room. Glancing outside, you remember how quickly it
becomes dark. You don’t think much of it, though, as you bundle up and head out into the
gusty wind. Not until you spy the shadows on the sidewalk or hear the leaves rustling beside
you do you wish you weren’t alone. You walk quickly, trying to stop your imagination from
thinking of murderers and rapists. Only when you are safely inside your room do you relax
and try to stop your heart from pounding out of your chest.
2 Can you remember a time when you felt this way? I would be surprised if you
never have. The FBI reported last year that there were three murders, approximately 430
aggravated assaults, 1,400 burglaries, and 80 rapes here in Madison alone. And while these
statistics are quite alarming, they don’t even compare to the numbers of larger metropolitan
areas.
3 No matter where we live, crime affects us all—men and women, students and
instructors, young and old. We need to stop being the victims. One way we can do this is by
enrolling in a self-defense course. There are many times I can remember when my heart
seemed to pound out of my chest, but because I took an introductory course in self-defense, I
feel more confident and more prepared to deal with potentially dangerous situations. Today I
would like to encourage all of you to enroll in a self-defense course. Let’s start by looking at
the dangers of crime we face as college students.
4 College students face many crime issues, both as members of society and as
students on campus. These crimes endanger our money, our property, our self-confidence,
our psychological well-being, and even our lives. According to the Foundation for Crime
Prevention Education, violence and crime have dramatically increased. An American is six
times more likely to be assaulted with a weapon today than in 1960. The FBI reports that
someone either is murdered, raped, assaulted, or robbed every 16 seconds. This means today,
at the end of our 50-minute class period, approximately 187 people will have been victims of
a violent crime.
5 College students, many of whom are away from home for the first time, are
especially easy targets for crime. Students often look at campus housing as a secure place.
But according to the book Street Wisdom for Women, precautions must be taken in a dorm or
Greek house, just as in any house or apartment. How many of these bad habits do you have?
How often do you leave your room without locking your door, forgetting how easily
accessible your room is to anyone? How often do you fall asleep without locking your door?
Or how often do you open your door without first checking to see who is there? As the Wake
Forest University Police Crime Prevention Web site states, “Each of us must become aware
of the precautions necessary to reduce the likelihood that we will become victims of crime.”
Those who forget to take these precautions invite trouble.
6 Although students must watch themselves in campus housing, they must also take
care elsewhere. Prevalent use of drugs and alcohol, especially on college campuses, increases
456 SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
the chance of crime. Using drugs or alcohol makes you an easier target because, as we all
know, it affects your judgment, influencing your decisions on safety. According to the Pacific
Center for Violence Prevention, in 42 percent of all violent crimes, either the assailant, the
victim, or both had been drinking. Specifically on campus, 90 percent of all violent crimes
involve drugs and/or alcohol. This problem is so serious that testimony by law enforcement
officials reprinted on the Security On Campus Web site indicates that many college campuses
are the highest crime areas in their communities.
7 So now that we see the dangers we face as students, what can we do to protect
ourselves? Although there are many ways of dealing with crime, I recommend that you and
every college student enroll in a self-defense course. You can choose from a variety of self-
defense courses offered right here in Madison. You can find one to fit your schedule and your
pocketbook. On campus, the university has a club sport called Shorin Ryu Karate, which
emphasizes practical self-defense. They hold their meetings in the evening, after classes,
right on campus, and they’re open to all university students, faculty, and staff.
8 Another option is Villari’s Self-Defense and Tai Chi Center, which not only
offers courses in self-defense, but in tai chi, karate, and kung-fu. Villari’s location on State
Street is convenient for all university students. To find a class that fits your needs, you can
also search over the Internet or through the Yellow Pages. I also brought along some
brochures today, so if you are interested, please see me after class.
9 After enrolling in a self-defense course, you will find yourself much better
prepared to deal with an emergency situation. Patrick Lee, an instructor for a course called
“Self-Defense for Women: Victim or Survivor,” claims the biggest thing he teaches in his
courses is that you must decide from the beginning whether you want to be the victim or the
survivor. Repeating over and over again that “I am a survivor” not only increases your self-
confidence but helps you think more clearly in a difficult situation.
10 I didn’t realize the importance of this myself until I took an introductory course in
self-defense in my high school physical education class. After a few days of practice, each of
us faced the notorious padded attacker. Expecting to enjoy fighting the attacker, I prepared to
yell “No; stop; back off” as forcefully as possible. But before I knew it, this man, twice my
size, had put me in a hold I could not get out of. My mind was so overcome with fear that I
could barely muster out a “No.” Immediately, I pictured this as a real situation, one which I
probably would not have survived.
11 But after a few more days of practice, we were able to go against the padded
attacker one more time. This time, I no longer felt fear. I felt anger. I was angry that this man
felt he could take advantage of me. This time, using what I learned, I yelled “No; back off”
and successfully escaped his move. And this time I survived.
12 I’m not the only example showing the benefits of taking self-defense. If you’re
interested, check out “Stories From Self-Defense Classes” posted to the Internet by the
Assault Prevention Information Network. Although I don’t have the time to share with you
the dozens of success stories, I can sum them up with a quote by Cindy, a 23-year-old woman
who used her self-defense knowledge to scare off an assailant. Cindy says, “I know deep
inside, where it matters most, that I have what it takes to defend myself if need be, and this
feeling is one of pure joy.” As you can see, self-defense is time and money well invested.
SELF-DEFENSE ON CAMPUS 457
13 So I encourage you to enroll in a self-defense course, whether it be through a
physical education class or through a private organization and whether you do it here or back
in your hometown. Even if you do not enroll right away, I encourage you to do so in the near
future. Taking such a course could mean keeping your money, protecting your property,
defending yourself, your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife. It could even mean the
difference between life and death.
14 Don’t ever think, “It could never happen to me.” Why not be prepared? As
Patrick Lee said, “Ask yourself, do you want to be the victim or the survivor?”
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Self-Defense on Campus
Commentary
“Self-Defense on Campus” is an excellent speech that illustrates how students can
utilize all the methods of persuasion discussed in the textbook. Here is a synopsis
that focuses on how the speaker employs the methods of persuasion.
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to enroll in a self-defense class.
Central Idea: Enrolling in a self-defense class is an effective way for students to
help protect themselves against the dangers of crime they face on campus
and in society at large.
Method of Organization: Monroe’s motivated sequence
Credibility: In keeping with the functions of a speech introduction discussed in
Chapter 9 of the textbook, the speaker establishes her credibility in paragraph
3 by noting that because she has taken a self-defense class, she feels more
prepared to deal with potentially dangerous situations. The audience is more
likely to listen carefully to the rest of the speech knowing that the speaker has
firsthand experience on the topic
The speaker turns to her experience again in paragraphs 10-11 when she
presents an extended example showing how she learned to protect herself in
her self-defense class. Although this example is used to demonstrate the
practicality of the speaker’s policy, it also reinforces her credibility and
strengthens the persuasiveness of the entire speech. So, too, do the speaker’s
sincerity, command of the topic, and goodwill toward the audience—all of
which are evident throughout her presentation.
Evidence: The speaker uses two extended examples to excellent effect. The
hypothetical example that opens the speech gains attention and relates the
topic to the audience. Its impact is reinforced by the statistics in paragraph 2
that connect the example directly to the college community in which the
speech was delivered. In paragraphs 10-11 the speaker uses an extended
example based on her own experience to demonstrate how taking a class in
self-defense can increase one’s confidence and ability to respond properly in
a dangerous situation. These two examples are among the most memorable
parts of the speech and are central to its persuasive appeal.
The speaker is equally adept in her use of statistics. Those in paragraph 2
show that the hypothetical example presented in paragraph 1 is not far-
fetched, while those in paragraph 4 reinforce the point that crime is a serious
problem in American society. It should also be noted how, in paragraph 4,
the speaker translates her numbers into terms that relate directly to her
classmates by noting that, during the 50 minutes of their speech class, 187
people will have been the victims of a violent crime. In paragraph 6 the
speaker presents figures that show the correlation between violent crimes
and the use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs. Here, as elsewhere, the speaker’s
statistics come from reputable sources, and she identifies those sources for
the audience.
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As with examples and statistics, testimony plays an important role in this
speech. The speaker uses testimony twice in paragraph 5 to underscore the
importance of taking precautions against crime—first, when she paraphrases
the book Street Wisdom for Women, and second, when she quotes the Wake
Forest University Crime Prevention Web site. In paragraph 7 she cites the
Security on Campus Web site to support her point that many college
campuses are the highest crime areas in their communities. In paragraph 9
she presents expert testimony from Patrick Lee, a self-defense instructor, and
in paragraph 12 she employs peer testimony from a woman named Cindy
who used her self-defense knowledge to scare off an assailant. Finally, in
paragraph 14 the speaker concludes with a quotation from Patrick Lee
asking, “Do you want to be the victim or the survivor?”
Reasoning: The primary method of reasoning in this speech is causal. The speaker
does not claim that lack of training in self-defense causes crime or that taking
a self-defense class will produce a reduction in crime. Rather, she argues that
lack of training in self-defense makes a person more vulnerable to crime and
that taking a self-defense course will make a person more confident and
more prepared to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
What makes the reasoning of this speech persuasive, however, is less the
structure of the speaker’s argument than the strength of her evidence. All of
her main points are backed up with excellent supporting materials, and she
does an especially good job in paragraphs 9-12 of demonstrating that taking
a self-defense course will in fact produce the benefits she claims for it. Given
the speaker’s evidence, most listeners are prepared to accept her reasoning.
Emotional Appeal: Although “Self-Defense on Campus” does not employ a great
deal of overtly emotional language, it still generates fairly strong emotional
appeal. One of the emotions it taps is the fear of becoming a crime victim.
This is especially evident in the vivid hypothetical example that opens the
speech, but it is reinforced by the speaker’s statistics and testimony
throughout the problem section (paragraphs 4-6). The speaker’s use of fear
appeals can also be seen in paragraph 10, in which she narrates her
experience of being unable to fight off the padded attacker at the
beginning of her self-defense class.
In addition to presenting fear appeals, the speaker provides a specific
course of action through which her listeners can combat the source of fear.
Research has demonstrated that this is the most effective way to use fear
appeals in a persuasive speech. Having aroused the audience’s concern
about being able to protect themselves in a dangerous situation, the
speaker then discusses the sense of security, confidence, and even
happiness that come from receiving training in self-defense. In paragraph
11 she explains how she learned to thwart the padded attacker by the end
of her self-defense class, and in paragraph 12 she quotes the feeling of
“pure joy” described by one woman who used her self-defense training to
scare off an assailant.
In all these cases, the emotional appeal grows naturally out of the
speech content and is strengthened by the speaker’s sincerity and
conviction. It is also worth noting that there is a strongly gendered
dimension to the emotional appeal in this speech. Although the speaker
makes a concerted effort in several places to relate her subject to the men
in her audience, there is no doubt that the fear of crime—and especially of
personal assault—is greater among women than among men. It is also true
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that the speaker’s extended examples—both the hypothetical example in
paragraph 1 and the personal example in paragraphs 10-11—tend to
resonate most powerfully with women. This is not a weakness in the speech,
but it does provide an interesting point for discussion about the nature of
emotional appeal and the manner in which it can vary from audience to
audience.
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