In the past month, we told you about the national stories of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway from Colorado and 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale in New Jersey. They were both girls who were missing and found murdered.
Hearing things like this, we want to do everything possible to keep our youth safe.
They're encouraging kids, teens and women to learn to protect themselves and learn self-defense.
"That's where my focus is. Trying to empower women, empower kids and empower teens to give them the vital skills necessary to survive certain situations," said Mitch Harris.
Harris is the owner of Vital Defense Systems. He says women, kids and teens are preyed on most and knowing self defense is more than physical power.
"You don't need to be in super great shape to do it. Basically what we want to do is give ordinary people, extraordinary skills to protect themselves," said Harris.
"I started to learn a little more of my surroundings. What was going on. Started to notice that going out of the grocery store, and realized that I didn't pay much attention," said Nicole Romano
She's been taking self-defense classes for about four months.
"I definitely have more confidence than I did before. And I'm hoping that with given skill, I'll be able to protect myself and my kids in any instance," said Romano.
She has two kids. Her 12-year-old son take classes too.
"He can protect us too. You know and when you learn the skill, you start to realize that size does not matter. Shape does not matter," said Romano.
Advice for every parent: when you're out with your kids, test their awareness of their surroundings. Harris says he did this with his daughter when they would pass a stranger.
"When we passed that person, I would ask her, was he wearing pants of shorts? And then it got to the point that I was asking her, what color were those pants? What was he wearing? Were there any distinguishing marks? So as she would get older she was able to recognize these things," said Harris.
"Even with bullying at school, even just knowing what's going on. I think a parent is going to feel so much more comfortable knowing that their kid has a good solid foundation to go on in life," said Romano.
Vital Defense Systems has a free self-defense workshop for women on November 17th from 11:30am to 1:30pm at Sherando Family Fitness in Stephens City.
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