LAWRENCEVILLE — The Gwinnett County Police Department is offering a free basic self-defense course for women age 16 and older, officials said.

The 12-hour Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class is taught by certified instructors through the department’s Community Affairs Section. It combines classroom instruction on risk awareness, risk reduction and risk avoidance with hands-on tactical training in basic self-defense techniques designed to help participants learn ways to escape attacks. The course includes a live simulation exercise at the end to build confidence in applying skills learned.

Classes are delivered in four three-hour sessions. Participants must attend all sessions to complete the course. Women ages 16 and 17 must be accompanied by a female family member at least 18 years old who will also participate in the training.

The training is held at the Gwinnett Police Training Center, 854 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information or to register, contact the department’s Community Affairs Section at 678-442-6520 or PDCommunityAffairs@GwinnettCounty.com.