Four out of five people who are attacked and fight back do get away says Mattapoisett resident and fitness instructor Dara Midwood.

Not wanting anyone to become another statistic of violence, Midwood and trainer Patricia Atkins developed “Family Safety Instincts,” a self-defense class for teaching people how to react in a violent situation.

“It’s not about strength or teaching people how to fight,” Midwood said. “It’s just about having the edge to get away from being a victim. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to that. What we do is not martial arts, it’s safety awareness.”

Having that edge, she said means knowing your environment and being prepared for anything that could happen. This could be something as easy as carrying your keys in your hand while walking through a parking lot, looking around outside before leaving a building or just locking car doors, she said.

“You don’t have to have an attitude ‘It’ll never happen to me,’” she said. “You just need to be aware of your environment. You don’t expect it to happen, but having a plan gives you the edge to get away.”

If you are grabbed, Midwood says the most important thing someone can do is to scream and make a scene. Drawing attention to yourself will likely scare off an attacker she said.

“What I want people to walk away with is confidence,” she said. “We try to teach to walk with confidence so you can minimize yourself as a target. It’s about empowering women so they can be strong.”