Defend Yourself

More safety, more confidence, more freedom, more fun!

Based in Washington, DC, serving the entire U.S.

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Safe Bars


Safe Bars uses innovative bystander education and self-defense strategies to empower DC-area bar staff to stand up against sexual harassment and assault.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find a Safe Bar in D.C.!

We’ve trained these bars, restaurants, clubs, and concert venues in D.C.:

801 DC

9:30 Club

Acre 121

The Anthem *

Bar Charley

The Big Hunt

Birch & Barley

Carving Room * GU

ChurchKey

Church Hall * GU

Colony Club

Columbia Room

Cotton & Reed

The Dabney

Dio Wine Bar

Dos Mamis *

DrinkCo.

El Chucho

Grand Duchess

Granville Moores

Hank’s on the Wharf *

Hawthorne * GU

Little Cocos

Mackeys

Masseria *

Mission Dupont Circle * GU

Mission Navy Yard * GU

Officina

Penn Social * GU

Peregrine Espresso

Pom Pom (formerly Himitsu) *

Quarry House Tavern

The Queen Vic

Right Proper Brewing *

Shaws Tavern

Slash Run

Sudhouse

The Tombs * GU

*= trained within the past year as of 12/19

GU = trained in partnership with Georgetown University’s Sexual Assault & Misconduct Task Force

To find out more, go to the Safe Bars website or find us on Facebook.

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Sign up now for the monthly newsletter and you’ll also get our e-book with stories of real-life people standing up to harassment, abuse, and assault!

Read our latest newsletter here

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Meet Lauren

Teacher, resister, advocate, warrior princess. Passionate about a world free of gender-based violence and people becoming their full selves. Loves chocolate, justice, and cats (not necessarily in that order).

Click here to find out more!

Classes for everyone

Defend Yourself has classes for everyone, no matter what your age or ability. Whether you're dealing with street harassment, going off to college, healing from abuse, or any other challenge, we offer skills you can use.

Click here to see some of what we offer!

National Street Harassment Hotline

Call toll-free: 855-897-5910
(English + Spanish. 24-7)
Find out more!

More safety, more confidence, more freedom, more fun!

Get our newsletter!

Sign up now for our monthly newsletter and you’ll also get our e-book with stories of real-life people standing up to harassment, abuse, and assault!

Read our latest newsletter here
 

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Learn something now

  • Run,Yell,Tell, Hit, + Go Along
  • My journey to assertiveness
  • Strategies for safety
  • Should I yell FIRE!?!?
  • #9 Making self-defense a part of your life
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What people say

I unfortunately had to use some tactics I learned from the workshop, as I was assaulted at the beach this summer. I honestly believe that I avoided a rape because of your training.
Bothering leads to dangerous things and situations if we aren’t careful. We want to try to stop the situation before it gets really dangerous+ACE There are bullies that can start at just being annoying by talking and saying those mean things but it can turn into something very dangerous if you are not careful. So the key is to be very smart and think before you ac– from the book by our students at Jump Start Girls/Adelante Nias
I feel so much stronger and more confident. Now I feel good about saying no to something I don’t want, where I used to feel bad about it. This is a big change!
This class has affected my life in many ways. I am now able to deal with many suppressed feelings. This is an opening for me. I finally allow myself to feel anger without blaming myself. I now realize I have the right to happiness and I will fervently fight whoever tries to take this.
Everybody needs this!
I wish other women/girls could experience THIS feeling of girrrrlpower, instead of listening to Cosmo and Glamour to tell them where their power lies.
Thank you for a wonderful class. I will spread the word around my high school and to every interested girl/woman I know!
This class opened a door for me that I didn’t know existed. I know exactly what I would do if I needed to. It was the first time in my life that I felt that. Even if something happened, I would still feel safe in myself.
The teachers role-modeled being strong women.
Thank you for such an empowering, confidence-inspiring class. When you first announced that the class would teach both verbal and physical defense, I was a bit hesitant – I presumed I already knew how to verbally defend myself, and thought I was ready to get down to more hard core self-defense moves.
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Based in Washington, D.C., serving the world

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