Women are constantly told what to do and what not to do when it comes to their personal safety. We are fed “tips” about what to wear to not get raped, but those aren’t really how we need to think when it comes to protecting ourselves. A couple extra inches of fabric isn’t going to deter an attacker. On the contrary, some of the tips below could potentially save you in the event of an attack.
Pay attention to your surroundings. This means you shouldn’t walk around with headphones in your ears at night or text nonstop while walking home. If someone were to attack you, they already have the element of surprise on their side. Keep your eyes up when you’re walking around and be aware of everything that is happening around you. If something happens nearby that makes you uncomfortable, it is better to notice it the second it starts to become an issue than to wait until it’s too late to do something about the situation. It may sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t do it.
Don’t go places alone—always bring a friend. You should do this for a few reasons. For one, it is harder to attack two or more people than one person. Also, friends can sometimes see what is going on before you can. Imagine you’re at a party and you’ve been talking to the same really cute guy for the past 45 minutes, and you’re pretty infatuated. Your friend, who he hasn’t been flirting with, might be able to see just how sketchy he is when you can’t. In that same vein, if you do want to leave a party or bar with someone other than who you arrived with, make sure you let your friends know. There is nothing more terrifying than thinking one of your friends got kidnapped while you are out drinking.
Know how to physically protect yourself. In case you ever are in a situation where you have to fight someone off, you need to know what to do. The best thing you can do for yourself is sign up for a self-defense class, so you can learn and practice what to do when someone attacks you. At a self-defense class you’ll learn how and where you should strike your attacker, but if you don’t ever get the chance to take one of these classes, you should know some of the weakest parts of body are the eyes, nose, and groin. Make sure you actually hit those areas however, because a kick to the thigh is nowhere near as effective as a kick to the groin.
There are all kinds of tips floating around about how to keep yourself safe, but the most important one is to be proactive. Take a self-defense class so you know how to throw and block a punch. Don’t put yourself in potentially dangerous situations. Pay attention to what’s going on around you at all times. These basic tips don’t ensure your safety 100%, but they are little things you can do to lower your chances of being attacked and getting seriously hurt.