A woman, by herself. Young or Old, by herself. Distracted, by herself. Displaying expensive clothes, purse and jewelry; by herself. Did you catch the recurring theme?
Whether we want to admit it or not, men (and sometimes women) prey on women and girls. Most experts suggest it is a “control” thing. I think it’s a “hunter” thing – attack what is perceived to be weaker. An antelope separated from the herd is a prime target for the hunter.
The one disservice we teach women in our society is to expect that life is a fairy tale and not prepare them for the real world. We need not instill paranoia, we need only understand that there are people that will hurt others; and to instill a sense of awareness and self-determination.
For a woman to protect herself, she needs to acknowledge that there is a potential threat and watch for clues to the approach of that threat – Situational Awareness. The first step in the prevention of being a victim is to realize that there are bad people in the world and there are targets; and deciding that “I will not be a target”. Situational awareness is defined as ‘knowing what is going on around you and considering what you might need to do as a result of that knowledge’. Situational awareness comes from, and is developed by actions we take and practices we follow; a topic that we’ll address in another issue.
The second step in the process of victim prevention is in our preparation. There is a commercial on TV that shows a woman getting a note that she will have a heart attack “today” at a specific time; if we knew that at some specific point in our lives, we would be attacked, we could avoid or prepare for that incident. Unfortunately, we don’t know the specific time of the event; but we can still be prepared, even if we cannot avoid it. What training can be completed, and refreshed? What items might we carry and practice using?
I always recommend the attendance of a R.A.D. class; and I’d suggest an annual refresher. Think about what you carry with you everywhere and how those items might be used as an offensive weapon. Should you consider carrying other tools: Pepper Spray, Kubaton, Taser or even a handgun? If you do, don’t forget the training needed to be safe and proficient with each type of weapon
You want to live your lifestyle as YOU direct, not as a result of the fear of a possibility. Your lifestyle need not change; only your mindset. Staying alert, maintaining awareness and KNOWING that you can protect yourself from being a victim; you can live your life VICTIM-PROOF.
Stay Alert, Stay Safe.
