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: office parking lots/garages. Number three:
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.
8) 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.
Of course, in some cases this might make them more determined to get you.
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 and 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!)