You Have A Good Chance of Being A Crime Victim!

Lack of awareness (you MUST know where you are and what's going on around you)

Body language (keep your head up, swing your arms, stand straight up)

Wrong place, wrong time (DON'T walk alone in an alley, or drive in a bad neighborhood at night)

Getting Into Your Car

Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook or making a list). DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for that person to get in 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. When getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

Be aware. Look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. Check under the car as well.

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 victims are attempting to get into their cars.

Look at the cars parked on either side of your vehicle. If a man 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.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good looking, well-educated man, who 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.

A friend's daughter came out of the mall and was walking to her car when she noticed two older ladies in front of her. She then saw a police car come towards her with two cops, and they said hello. She also noticed that all 8 handicapped spots in the area were empty. As she neared her car, she saw a man a few rows over calling to her, for help. He wanted her to close his passenger side door. He was sitting in the driver's side and said he was handicapped. He continued calling until she turned and headed back to the mall, and then he began cursing at her. She wondered why he didn't ask the two older ladies, or the policeman for help, and why he was not parked in any of the empty handicapped spots. As she got back to the mall, two male friends of hers were exiting, and as she told them the story, and turned to point at the car, a male was getting out of the back seat into the front, and the car sped away. DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THIS TRAP.

If Your Car Breaks Down

Lock your doors

Have a cell phone to call for help

Keep a blanket, and a pair of warm clothes and boots, and a flashlight in your car always for emergencies. Have drinkable water available too.

If you don't have a cell phone:

And it's noon on a business day, you may want to put your hazards on and walk to safety.

And it's 2 a.m., put on your warm clothes, and walk to a lighted area. You are a perfect target if you are sitting in your broken down car. Predators search the highways for easy targets like you. If it is warm out, dress comfortably, but not provocatively.

And you're on a desolate road, walk away from the car (in your warm clothes) and go to some bushes, or some area AWAY from your vehicle. It will be cold, and uncomfortable, but you DO NOT want to stay in your car, and there are no psychic boogie men waiting in the bushes who knew you were going to break down.

Walking Alone In The Dark

If you are walking alone in the dark (don't be) and someone is following/chasing you, you should:

Scream "FIRE!", not "help." People don't want to get involved when people yell "help", but "fire" draws attention because people are nosy.

RUN!

Find an obstacle, such as a parked car, and run around it, like ring around the rosie. (This may sound silly, but people have said that this saved their lives.)

Get under the car. Once you are under there, there are tons of things to hold on to, and he will not be able to get you out, and will not come under for you (most likely). Usually they give up by this point. The catch here is that you must practice getting under the car. You must have a plan (he will have one); know if you will be going on your back, front, from the side or back of the car. It must be practiced.

Elevators vs. Stairs

Do not get on an elevator if there is a weirdo already on there. (Of course bad people don't always look bad.)

Do not stand back in the corners of the elevator, be near the front, by the doors, ready to get off or on.

If you get on the elevator on the 25th floor, and the 'Evil Person' gets on at the 22nd, get off when he gets on. If the predator has a gun and you are not under their control, ALWAYS run!

Police only make 4 of 10 shots when they are in range of 3-9 feet. This is due to stress. 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! As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT, it may get you raped or killed.

Physical Defenses

Physical defenses we can use against a violent predator include:

The eyes are the most vulnerable part of the body. Poke the person there and you have (possibly) your only window of opportunity.

The neck is also a weak spot, but you must know where to grip, and have the strength to cut off his or her breath.

A man's testicles are very susceptible to pain. A strong knee or kick to his groin will disable any man.

Everyone's knees are very vulnerable, and a swift kick here will take anyone down.

A cautionary note about these things is that if you do not do these things right the first time, you are in trouble, because it will only anger the individual, and that anger will be TAKEN OUT ON YOU. I'm not saying don't attempt them (it may be your only hope), but be forceful when you do.

If you have gotten into a violent situation, REACT IMMEDIATELY. If the person abducts you in a parking lot, and is taking you to an abandoned area, DON'T LET THEM GET YOU TO THAT AREA.

If you are driving, react immediately in the situation, and crash your car while still going 5 MPH.

If they are driving, find the right time, and stick your fingers in their eyes. He or she must watch the road, so choose an unsuspecting time, and then gouge. It is your ONLY defense. While the person is in shock, GET OUT. (This might sound gross, but the alternative could be terrible.)

RESIST - don't go along with this person

RUN if you are able

SCREAM

You DO NOT want to get to crime scene #2

DON'T EVER GIVE UP!

Remember to always keep your distance when walking past strangers on the street or in dark areas.

Never let yourself or anyone that you know be a "closer" in any type of business (bar, store, restaurant, gas station).

We don't mean to scare you with any of this, but honestly, we hope it did. It should. Our world is not as safe as we pretend that it is, and living in our fantasy worlds WILL get us in trouble, sooner or later. "It won't happen to me" doesn't cut it, and is a bogus expectation anyway. The women or men who die EVERY MINUTE from violent crimes expected to go to bed that night, and to get up the next day. No one expects to be a victim, but we must be prepared and aware so that we HAVE A PLAN. We encourage you to pass this on to your friends and family. We all need to hear preventing crime. If you can find a self-defense course available in your area, we encourage you to take it, regardless of your sex. Males and females are victims to assault and crime, so be prepared.

       Check out Dating Violence, the Violence page and Rape. Important information to know in advance in our world.