The Cost of Fear

The Cost of Fear delivers a compelling critique of the shortcomings of conventional safety practices. Through meticulous evidence-based research and personal stories, Stone suggests more effective strategies for eliminating gender-based violence.', Wendy Rouse, author of Her Own Hero

'In The Cost of Fear, Meg Stone weaves together stories—from the individual to the organizational—and extensive research to offer a comprehensive understanding of the problem of gender-based violence. She makes a clear, compelling case for safety through resistance to both protect individuals and change society. Valuable for everyone from policy-makers to individuals wanting to increase their safety, this book can change the world.', Lauren R. Taylor, founder-director of Defend Yourself

'Meg Stone has written a powerful, accessible, and devastatingly acute analysis of the pervasiveness of gender-based violence and why our efforts to prevent it have failed, packed with expert insight drawn from her decades-long career and practical tips to empower women and others who are targeted. The Cost of Fear moved me, enraged me, and educated me. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about it. I wish this book weren’t necessary. But until we live in a better world, get this book.', Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of, The Fact of a Body

'Meg Stone offers her incredible knowledge with love and compassion, an essential guide for resistance-based self-defense training. Drawing from her decades-long experience, Stone empowers you to build mental resilience and vital techniques for developing situational awareness to defuse gender-based violence quickly for your safety. The Cost of Fear is a must-read for people of all genders and ages, regardless of their fitness and experience levels.', Rev. Irene Monroe, co-host of All Rev’d Up on Boston Public Radio

'In this intriguing debut treatise, Stone, the director of Impact Boston, an organization that trains women and girls in self-defense, argues that common advice on how to react when threatened with rape and sexual violence is rooted in sexism. Contrary to the notion that a woman ought not to fight back against an attacker for the sake of her own physical safety, Stone cites research showing that “women who physically or verbally fight back are less likely to experience rape” and “fighting back does not increase a person’s chances of serious injury.” Stone attributes such a widespread misperception to the dominance of “compliance culture,” which convinces women and girls that if they follow enough rules they will be safe. In Stone’s dire assessment, such advice begins with things like avoiding walking alone at night and ends with going along with one’s own rape. Stone pulls together a lot of ancillary cultural analysis to make her theory cohere—she describes how getting middle school girls to make any sound of protest during a self-defense training is nearly impossible because they feel such shame over shouting, and also notes how the worst cases of sexual abuse happen in institutional settings (churches, sports teams) where there is high value placed on compliance. This is sure to stir debate.', Publishers Weekly