Recognizing power. Reclaiming safety.

Practical tools. Powerful boundaries. Safer fieldwork.

Develop Skills That Protect You


Your safety is a right. Your skills are how you claim it.


We have the power to learn and practice the tools that keep us safer—even when others try to deny that right. Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) builds practical skills for recognizing risk, setting and holding boundaries, and acting under pressure. It’s especially supportive if you tend to flight or freeze, offering concrete ways to notice early cues, choose a response, and follow through.


This page focuses on self-defense and boundary-setting—skills you can build, use, and refine to protect yourself and your collaborators in the field and beyond.

Disclaimer: The resources provided on this website are not exhaustive or definitive. Regulations, reporting protocols, and legal requirements may vary by location and institution. Before conducting fieldwork, confirm current information with your university legal services, ethics or Title IX office, or a qualified legal professional.

What is Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD)?

Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a skills-based approach to safety that blends awareness, boundary-setting, verbal strategies, and simple physical options. ESD starts from the premise that you have power—and you can use it.


Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) training has been shown to significantly increase people’s ability to recognize danger, assert boundaries, and take action in moments when they might otherwise freeze or shut down (Beaujolais, 2023; Follo, 2022; Basile, 2022). These skills are especially powerful for those who identify with the flight or freeze response, offering practical tools to move from fear to control.


Practicing self-defense and boundary setting helps you:

  • Recognize and interrupt unsafe situations early.
  • Communicate and enforce your boundaries clearly and confidently.
  • Respond with physical or verbal strategies that fit your comfort and capacity.
  • Support others in distress through bystander intervention skills.

Learning these skills isn’t about expecting harm — it’s about reclaiming your agency. The more you practice identifying and asserting your boundaries, the more power you have to shape your safety, your comfort, and your fieldwork experience.

How to Find Resources for ESD Training

  • Search for local ESD instructors or organizations (look for “trauma-informed,” “ESD,” or “IMPACT/Prepare”).
  • Check your university: campus rec, wellness, or Title IX offices often host free/low-cost ESD workshops.
  • Ask community centers, crisis resource orgs, or martial arts gyms about empowerment-based classes.
  • If cost is a barrier, request sliding-scale or scholarship options—many programs offer them.

You don’t have to navigate this alone.

Someone violating your right to safety is never your fault. In the moment, your nervous system does what it must—any response, including freeze, is valid. Our Support page centers you before, during, and after an incident with confidential and non-confidential options.

Boundary-Setting in the Field

Self-defense education offers deeper guidance on boundary-setting through body language, physical positioning, and safe escape strategies. The examples are intended to help you prepare for uncomfortable or coercive situations and to practice verbal advocacy before entering the field.

Collaborator Buy-In

When introducing the Collaborator Safety Agreement, emphasize shared responsibility rather than suspicion or accusation. The goal is to normalize safety planning as a professional standard, not to imply that your collaborators or location are inherently unsafe.

  • “We’ve been strengthening safety procedures across our field sites. My team is completing this document to affirm our collective and individual commitment to safe research practices. Could you return the signed form by [date]? Let me know if you have any questions.”
  • “There’s a new initiative in our field to promote safer research environments. As one of my collaborators, would you review and sign this safety agreement so we can ensure shared accountability?”
  • If you’re uncomfortable sending the document directly, ask your supervisor or advisor to circulate it and make participation a condition for upcoming fieldwork.

One-on-One Office Settings

Closed-door meetings can create an expectation of privacy that may increase vulnerability. Consider these alternatives to reduce risk:

  • Move to a public space. This can be done tactfully using language like:
    • “I need to stretch my legs—can we walk and talk?”
    • “Let’s meet over coffee; there’s a café nearby.”
    • “For safety reasons, I don’t attend one-on-one meetings in private spaces while conducting fieldwork. I’m looking forward to discussing [topic]—can we meet in [public space] instead?”
  • Keep the door open. If moving isn’t possible, you can still reduce the privacy of the setting. It’s often more effective to act decisively than to ask permission. You might say:
    • “I’d prefer to leave the door open.”
    • “Per my university’s fieldwork safety policy, I don’t attend closed-door one-on-one meetings.”

De-escalating Unsafe Encounters

If you are being approached inappropriately and are able to advocate for yourself, you can use firm, direct language to reassert boundaries or create a record of the encounter:

  • “I’m recording this meeting for my safety, and the footage will be provided to the authorities.”
  • “I have a safety plan in place—if I don’t check in at a scheduled time, my emergency contact will alert law enforcement.”

Important: Never attempt to threaten, blackmail, or extort a perpetrator with evidence of misconduct. Doing so can constitute a criminal offense. Instead, report the incident through official channels and allow qualified legal or institutional representatives to act on your behalf.

Caution: Laws regarding self-defense, recording, and extortion vary by state and country. Consult a legal expert or embassy representative before engaging in any defensive action abroad.

Understanding Cultural Context

Always consider the cultural and institutional context of your research site. Learn local customs and intraspecific politics before arrival. When possible, ask trusted colleagues who have worked in the same region for insight into cultural norms, gender dynamics, and power hierarchies that may influence interactions.