Photo by Fighting Fitness/Wikimedia Commons
By Megan Perrin, Loyola University Chicago
Whether you live in a big city or in a suburban town, the threat of danger is there. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, even though national crime has slightly decreased over the past year, rapes, domestic violence and abductions still occur.
THE STATS:
• Women in their early 20s are “four times more likely to be sexually assaulted.”—Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
• There are about 4,000 deaths a year as a result of domestic violence against women—Domestic Abuse Shelter of the Florida Keys
• There are over 100,000 “attempted abductions a year in the U.S.”—Just Yell Fire
According to Sensei Jim O’Hara, a teacher of Shotokan Karate for over 22 years and an instructor of the self-defense class Fight Like a Girl at FOCUS Martial Arts and Fitness, there are ways to prevent yourself from being attacked.
1. Make Sure You Know Who Your Friends Are
“Almost 80 percent of attacks come from people you know,” says O’Hara. While we’re taught at a young age to protect ourselves from “stranger danger,” we should also determine if those around us are trustworthy. “If you meet up with someone [you don’t really know], meet them in a public place and make them earn your trust,” O’Hara stresses.
While out, make it a rule to have a “designated safety net,” says O’Hara. This person should be a trustworthy friend who will look out for you.
2. Let Someone Know Your Plans
Before you even go out, you should let someone know:
• Where you’re going
• Who you’re going out with
• What you’re doing
• When you’re planning on coming home
It seems simple enough, but far too often our over-confidence can hurt us.
3. Watch Your Drink
If you choose to drink, keep track of it! By doing so, you can minimize the chance of someone “slipping a date rape drug into your drink,” asserts O’Hara. Once you put down your drink, don’t pick it back up again.
4. Trust Your Instincts and Intuition
Simply put by O’Hara, “Trust your soul.” Whether you believe it to be women’s intuition or just that little voice at the back of your head that says, “Something’s not right,” trust it. Remember your designated safety net? Get him or her to help you, and get out of there!
5. Run
If faced with a potential attacker, “Scream and run,” maintains O’Hara. “Statistics show that if you run, you increase your odds of survival.” Remember, “There are two things attackers don’t want,” says O’Hara:
1. They don’t want to get hurt.
2. They don’t want to get caught.
“If they tell you to get in a car with them, don’t. You don’t know where they’re taking you,” and you don’t want to go to “crime scene number two.”
6. Take a Self-Defense Class
O’Hara is a proponent of self-defense classes that show you how to use your strengths against an attacker. For women, strengths include the legs, butt and back. Self-defense classes teach muscle memory, which is extremely important when facing an attacker.
According to O’Hara, “When we’re afraid, our heart rate increases to 130 to 180 beats per minute. This stress-induced response makes us lose our cognitive ability, so we freeze.” A self-defense class will increase muscle memory and allow you to fight back.
7. Get Rid of the “But it Won’t Happen to Me” Mentality
Seemingly, every day on the news or in the paper, we hear and read stories of women getting attacked or of college students getting mugged. We might even have the “that won’t happen to me” mindset. But what if it did?
By using these seven tips, you will have a greater chance of protecting yourself from an attacker and getting to safety.
For links to more information on protecting yourself against rape and other sexual attacks, visit <http://focusma.com/self-defense/safetylinks.html>.
