ages.
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were
interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some
interesting facts:
1) The first thing men look for in a potential
victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail,
bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely
to go after a woman with long hair Women with short hair are not common
targets.
2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They
will look for women who's clothing is easy to remove quickly . Many of them carry
scissors around specifically to cut clothing.
3) They also look for women on their cell phone ,
searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because
they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.
4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the
early morning, between 5:00a.m. and 8:30a.m.
5) The number one place women are abducted
from/attacked is grocery store parking lots. Number two: is office parking
lots/garages. Number three: is public restrooms.
6) The thing about these men is that they are
looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they
don't have to worry about getting caught.
7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape
carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they
get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that
going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9) These men said they would not pick on women who
have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in
their hands.
Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get
really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to
convince these guys you're not worth it.
10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are:
If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an
elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question , like
what time is it, or make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is so cold out
here,' 'we're in for a bad winter.' Now you've seen their face and could
identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
11) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your
hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK ! Most of the rapists this man
talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she
would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY
target.
12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was
a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes), yell I HAVE
PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
13) If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with
strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist
from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and
armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a class this
guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date
rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle
strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as
hard as you can stand it - it hurts.
14) After the initial hit, always GO for the
GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a
guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy
and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start
causing trouble and he's out of there.
15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab
his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much
pressure pushing down on them as possible . The instructor did it to me without
using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked
audibly.
16) Of course the things we always hear still
apply. Always be aware of your surroundings , take someone with you if you can
and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!
You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd
feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the
strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber
asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM . Toss it away from
you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than
you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving
like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved
lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars
after shopping, eating, working, etc, and just sit (doing their checkbook, or
making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this
is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun
to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK
THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your
head DO NOT DRIVE
OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE
OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air
Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of
it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them
find your body in a remote location.
5 A few notes about getting into your car in a
parking lot or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car,
at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter
your car from the passenger door Most serial killers attack their victims by
pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their
cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of
your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat
nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And
better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.
(Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is
especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under
his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running
target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital
organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying to be
sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial
killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies
of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for
help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next
victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that
her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she
called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police
told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'
The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the
street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the
way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a
serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their
homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified
it , but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries
outside their doors when they're home alone at night.
Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a
crying baby ----This should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory
was mentioned on America's
Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.
I'd like you to forward this to all the women you
know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another
candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your
mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as
well.
