When advised by her mother to be “extra careful as a girl in a big dangerous city” like any exasperated college student who has heard the same lecture at one point of their transition to independence, SFSU student and fellow Her Campus San Francisco writer Jourdon Ahn dismissively replied to the possibility of being attacked with: “Yeah Mom I know, I have pepper spray, I travel in groups, I’m fine.”
The situation became all too real when Ahn and five of her co-worker friends were held at gunpoint less than half a mile away from the SFSU campus by an attacker demanding their purses. The suspect did not succeed in his attempted robbery, but did shoot at Ahn and her friends. One of the victims who experienced the worst of the attack, was left with a bullet wound through the thigh, a broken finger and a black eye. As scarring as the attack was, Ahn believes that the near death encounter bought her and her friends together closer than ever and taught her an invaluable life lesson in self-defense and campus safety that students should take heed of.
The near death encounter also bought up questions on whether or not campus police are adequately doing enough to protect students from harm. “University PD needs to patrol a wider radius around campus. Or maybe just be present altogether,” Ahn proposed, also theorizing that UPD was not facing the bigger issue at hand and taking too much time in trying to track down underage alcohol drinking. Ahn also suggested that there be more pepper spray availability in the health center, more self-defense classes and overall just general awareness that an attack like hers could happen to anyone.
But starting with the individual, how can one lower the risk of being the victim of an attack? Based on what had occurred, Ahn recommends individuals to not walk the streets late at night, never travel alone and when faced with an attacker to throw your belongings far away from you to distract them into retrieving it and giving you time to run and/or scream bloody murder for help with suggestions to scream key words of success that people might respond to such as “Fire!” When talking about the specific incident Ahn was involved in, she even recommends individuals to take a cab for late night traversing. “Honestly a $20 fare is worth keeping you or your friends safe,” she concluded.
Judith Fein, an self-defense instructor at SFSU and CCSF and author of four books on self-defense, provides similar advice, stressing the key prevention tip of awareness. “Taking note of your surroundings and being aware and alert is a good start to prevent situations in which you are attacked.” Fein went on to quote the common mistake people make that increases their risk of becoming targets for attack is being distracted either by being on the phone while walking or a similar activity.
In regards for advice to how to act when being confronted at gunpoint like Ahn, Fein says there is very little to do other than to comply and not get hurt when faced with a lethal weapon. Supplementing Ahn’s theory in throwing away your belongings to a robber to distract them, Fein wisely added, “What I do is that I usually carry my ID and credit cards with me on the body so that if I do throw my wallet or my purse, I will have all my important personal items with me on hand, instead of losing them.”
However in a situation in which no lethal weapons involved like a gun, Fein offers different advice. “Whoever wins the battle for intimidation wins,” Fein says, “Whoever is passive loses.” That means if you have to scream aggressively, assume a fighting stance, it could be the difference of whether or not you are attacked, as attackers commonly target victims who are weak and unresponsive. Fein alludes this response to “turning into the Incredible Hulk,” basically showing the to-be-attacker that you are not to be messed with. If a situation does arise in which you are attacked and have to fight, Fein recommends that the best points to target is either the kneecap or the Adam’s apple.
Taking self-defense or martial arts courses could also prepare an individual to develop the muscle memory, techniques and tactics to implement when being attacked. Even taking soft exercise courses such as yoga or qigong could also help an individual with maintaining calm and composure in such a situation. These resources can be found by simple research on the internet. However, the first step to take in ensuring your own safety on campus is as described by Ahn, “being smart and aware in all situations.”