A group of rapists, robbers, and other convicted prisoners were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim. Below is the accumulation of their answers. We encourage everyone to read and forward to those they love.
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. Awareness equals avoidance of a potential problem!
4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5 and 8:30 a.m.
5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots. The 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 percent 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 , yell "I have pepper spray" and holding it out will be a deterrent. Pepper spray works and is easy to carry and use. Follow the instructions that come with your unit. The key is to practice, practice, practice.
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. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it – it hurts. If you are grabbed at the wrist, turn your hand around towards his thumb in a counter-clockwise fashion, it will release the grip immediately. Consider Krav Maga, which I took for a long time. It is basic, effective and does not require any martial arts moves. It involves an immediate aggressive reply to an attack; get in and get out and away!
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. Be loud, scream. Get attention if you can. That is key to escaping if you can.
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. If you are grabbed from behind and the attackers hands are around your arms at about chest level, squat down, bend your knees and tilt your head forward and then ram your head back into his face. That will stop just about anyone. Practice it carefully with someone, but don't crack them in the face!!
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!!! If you see someone you get the chills from walking down the street towards you, cross the street, stay nearest to the street! Don't walk closest to alley's or side parking lots, stay as far away as possible so you can see what is around that corner. Look for his eyes, but don't gaze and stare. Just keep him in your side vision and get out of there!
Article provided by Treasure Coast
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