Women's Safety Information

Women often become targets of sexual predators because of their pre-conceived notion that they are easy crime targets because they are weak, timid and vulnerable. They see them as easy to attack or control especially by those who may also see women as sexual objects and someone they can take advantage of because of the weaker strength.

Sexual Crimes
Sexual abuse is one of the worst crimes women have to face. However, rape is not always a crime of sexual gratification but of power and the need to control another person. When a woman is raped she is left feeling violated and powerless; she may need long term counseling in order to recover from the affects of a sexual assault.

Date rape is also a crime against women that is growing at an alarming rate. Date rape is most likely to occur on the first or second date and is more prominent in bars, clubs and on college campuses where the predator will dissolve drugs such as GHB or Rohypnol in the woman’s drink thus causing them to black out and lose control over their own bodily functions. In addition to leaving the women vulnerable to a sexual assault, these drugs may also cause serious illnesses or death.

Domestic Violence
Domestic violence comes in many different forms and affects both men and women. It includes anything from verbal abuse to physical violence, and sadly many women live with domestic violence for years and never attempt to seek help. It’s difficult to know if they fear repercussions from their partner if they report the abuse or are too embarrassed to report what their partner is doing to them

Any woman who is a victim of domestic violence should seek help immediately. Whether that involves calling a hotline for help, seeking a therapist or calling the police to have the abuser arrested, women need to understand there is always another way. There is no reason a woman or man should stay in a situation that is dangerous and forces them to endure the pain alone. All they need is to learn about the resources that are available for victims of domestic violence.

Avoid Making Yourself Vulnerable to Predators
Women have the ability to take their safety and security into their own hands thus learning how to protect themselves from predators. There are many defense classes that are focused strictly toward women or male and female combination. These classes will teach the student the techniques of basic fighting as well as lessons in safety.

Women may also choose to carry non-lethal weapons such as MACE or pepper spray that will bring the predator down and protect the victim from any harm. You may never have to use either of them; having them in your possession will often drive any predator away since they would rather seek another victim rather than seek being subjected to the spray.

In spite of the serious problem that exists in crimes against women the problem can turn itself around if women learn how they can keep themselves safe and decrease their vulnerability.

By: Rebecca M. Jacobs

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We all know people who have the “poor me” attitude. They always have a story of how someone wronged them or how nothing goes right for them or how they are always kept from doing what they really want to do. The “poor me” attitude is the victim mindset, which we know attracts attackers of all kinds, which, in turn perpetuates the attitude; a negative, vicious cycle.

As women, we give our power away far too often and being in the mindset of blaming everyone else for your life experiences means you have decided to let others run your life. For a “poor me” person, the attention they get by being tragic is reward enough to keep up the act. Pity is negative attention. Most people who fall for the “poor me” people are those who feel sympathy instead of empathy and get right in the muddy, tragic waters with them perpetuating the problem. Now instead of a drama queen, you have a drama play with all of the characters secure in their roles of despair.

The danger is negative attitudes weaken body language. This sets the “poor me” person, and anyone else who joined in the play, up for attack by people looking for a prospective victim. The body language change may be so subtle we wouldn’t notice but those who attack, it is as clear as a bell.

If you are a woman who likes being the captain of your own ship and determining your life’s course, chances are you have little time for “poor me” people. You see it as weakness and offer suggestions as to how they might adjust their circumstances. You offer encouragement until you realize that in their mind, if they take control of their life, they won’t have anyone else to blame and that is terrifying to them. I mean, what would they have to complain about then? And who would they complain to?

“Poor me” people may be helped, if they are up for it, but most would rather blame and complain, which makes them a toxic relationship and detrimental to people aiming to be healthy and happy.

Disclaimer: We all have “poor me” days occasionally but to live in this mindset by choice (and those who do deny they have choice) is a self-esteem issue of feeling unworthy of great things while still needing attention. It is a self fulfilling prophecy.

Rather than get dragged down with a “poor me” person to be unsafe yourself, talk about what they can do to rectify the situation. I can almost guarantee one of two things will happen. They will adjust to follow your excellent advice or they will not come to you with their sad stories anymore because they know you will not feed their “attention fix.”

By: Kelly Rudolph

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Pregnancy is a very delicate time in a woman’s life and some of the things that she enjoys doing, smelling and eating may become temporary off limits. Therefore, to protect herself and the baby she will take some precautions. Some precautions that she may take are:

Flying by Air

Pregnant women can fly on an airplane during her first and second trimesters. However, it is not recommended that they do during the third trimester and some airlines will not allow them to fly with their aircraft during this time.

If it is a necessary trip, a letter from the doctor stating that it is safe for her to travel may grant entrance to the airplane. Under such circumstances, she must remember to walk as often as she can on the plane to keep the circulation moving.

Seatbelts

Seatbelts should not be disregarded as the baby grows, however, a belt that goes only across the shoulder should be avoided and one that goes across the shoulder and the lap, at the same time, is recommended.

Airbags

There is no law governing the use of an expectant mother driving or sitting as a passenger of a vehicle with air bags. Nevertheless, if it is possible, it may be wise to travel in the back than in the front.

Hot Baths

Without a doubt, warm baths and showers should be taken, but avoid taking really hot baths. Hot baths can lower the blood pressure and cause the woman to become light-headed and thereby affecting the baby. However, presently, no medical results show the impact of hot baths on the unborn child.

By: Angela Linton

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Self defense products increase a woman’s safety while traveling or commuting

If you have ever found yourself walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood after dark or navigating a new place on your own, you may have wished you had a little additional personal security. Plenty of women who commute to work or frequently travel look to self defense products to bolster their preparedness and ability to protect themselves. Non-lethal weapons like pepper spray or stun guns are easily concealed in a handbag or coat pocket and may be able to provide you with life saving minutes if you are confronted by an attacker while on the road. Pepper spray can temporarily blind an assailant while a stun gun will immobilize a surprise attacker. Both products will buy you time and help you escape to safety.

Self defense products protect women incapable of physically defending themselves

Many women attend self defense workshops and classes to learn how to physically defend themselves in the event of an attack. However, a large percentage of women are not as confident in their abilities to physically react in a surprise situation. Older women, disabled women, and women of shorter stature frequently turn to self defense weapons to help bolster their own abilities to protect themselves and increase their sense of comfort and safety. Women who are more physically fit may want to add a Kubotan to their key chain. A Kubotan is a small nightstick type weapon which helps to amplify blows to a person’s body. Women who are less physically able may opt for a Taser, which can deploy an electrode from up to fifteen feet away, incapacitating a victim for up to thirty seconds.

Self defense products are proven to effectively save women’s lives

Women everywhere prefer using non-lethal self defense weapons because they offer a relatively non-violent way to save their own lives. Pepper spray, stun guns, Kubotans, and tasers, are all designed to temporarily incapacitate a victim, while not severely interfering with life giving functions or organs. Non-lethal self defense weapons are also safe to carry and operate, while alternatives like handguns or knives pose safety threats to the user and potential fatal consequences to the recipients of their force. Thanks to self defense weapons like the ones mentioned in this article, thousands of women every year are able to avoid injury and escape life threatening situations.

By: Dorian Milon

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Meeting the idyllic individual who could produce pounding heartbeats is made possible by online dating services, though it comes with risks attached to it. Dating safety advice comes in handy as when you decide to enjoy trouble-free online dating to get linked to your ideal partner.

Online dating services have grown to lure many individuals who have started to look for their ideal partner through online dating services. An individual, to experience safe dating, should be sure in sticking to the dating safety advice, as it aids the individual to be smart as well as sweet to win the heart of the right potential date.

Staying anonymous for a longer duration until and about you get to know the potential date better is essential. The name with which you get introduced should only be the user name, as you’ll have to start providing personal details only when you are sure of the potential single. The e-mail address for online dating should be set up only to be used for online dating purpose. This saves you from getting pestered by unwanted elements, as you can change your e-mail address for the better at any time. Never let the rush of blood in you to influence decisions as a sedate pace ensures safe dating.

If someone sweet talks you or forces you into instant meetings, ending contact with such individuals is sure to save you from unpleasant incidents. After chatting up with the potential date, start talking to the individual over the phone to know more about the potential date. A lot of information can be gathered from the voice of the potential date. Making up your mind for the first offline date after getting to know the potential individual, a public place should be the ideal choice of meeting, which should get done during the day time. A coffee shop would be a good choice, which can be quiet as well as busy with people around you. It is deemed advisable to let your best friend know about the meeting details prior to your meeting the individual.

Get organized with your own transport, as you can avoid traveling with the potential date during the return journey, and it has to be avoided at all costs. Set a time limit as when you set to meet your date for the first time, and stick to the schedules or leave earlier to leave the potential dater with a feeling of wanting for more of your cherishing company. Never bestow your emotional investment until you are sure of the individual you wish to invest on.

To enjoy worry-free online dating, make sure to follow the dating safety advice, and experience safe online dating without having to be in a position you would never want to experience.

By: Clara Feuillete

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The term “self-defense” is anything but warm and fuzzy though vital to know something about, even if it’s only a little something. Amazingly enough, just knowing a little something can literally save your life or that of a loved one. This topic is extremely important for women because we tend to be the safety advocates for our families, friends and workplaces.

Self-Defense sounds like it has to do with defending ourselves from someone who is physically attacking us, doesn’t it? The fact is, there are types of attacks we endure every day without notice. These wear us down until we physically appear to be good targets for physical attack, but physical attack is not where it starts.

I think January being National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month is brilliant! It is a time for reflection and revisions and what could be a better time to learn to respect ourselves? The non-physical types of attack are verbal, mental and emotional. So, January, with it’s renewal and new beginnings, is a perfect time to say, “Yes,” to ourselves; “Yes,” to our self-esteem; “Yes,” to our self-awareness and “Yes,” to our self-respect; improving both our mental and emotional well-being; while simultaneously repelling would-be attackers of all types, even physical!

Did you know that approximately 95% of crime can be easily prevented? And as a survivor of rape and domestic violence myself, I know that prevention is much easier than recovery.

So where do I begin for a safer 2009?

You begin on the inside – How do you feel about yourself? Do you feel confident that you are just as good as anyone else or do you feel that other people are better than you? Then you look at people in your life – Who seems to weaken you when you spend time with them? Who strengthens you? Who is present when you feel best about yourself? Now look at how you treat yourself – Do you say “No,” to others when appropriate and realize you’re saying “Yes,” to yourself? Or do you beat yourself up if you don’t help everyone who asks?

That is where you begin for a Safer 2009. Stay tuned, as I go into more detail of where to go from here and you will notice improvements in all aspects of your life when you put these tips into action!

So…self-defense can warm and fuzzy once you learn what it really means and how to use it to your advantage; not just against someone else. The idea is to become so strong mentally and emotionally that no one can tear you down into exhibiting weak body language, the most common “visual” attackers use to select victims.

By: Kelly Rudolph

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We all learned our ABC’s in school but we learned very little about safety and how to repel attackers. In fact, most of our safety training was about what not to do, which put us in greater danger. Who needs to know what not to do, what doesn’t work? Let’s stay positive and delete the words, “not” and “don’t” from our safety training so we can actually absorb the great information!

The ABC’s of Repelling Attackers

A = Attacker Mindset and Attitude

When you understand the attacker mindset you get the real picture of what attackers are up to, what they look for when selecting victims and how to be the opposite to repel instead of attract them. Your attitude toward attackers will change drastically as you gain understanding of their need for a power fix and how that works into your personal safety and that of your loved ones.

B = Body Language

Knowing that attackers look for weakness and that body language is the quickest way to show it illustrates your need to portray confidence even if you have to fake it. Something as simple as holding your head up or leaving your ringing cell phone to voice mail while walking in public can repel an attacker while those with their head down, distracted by a phone conversation can actually attract them.

C = Common Sense

Attackers exercise more common sense when attacking than many people do all day long. For example: attackers look to attack those who look weak or distracted because they know the power fix they desire will not come from losing a fight. Common sense tells us to pay attention to our survival instincts (gut feelings) yet we, more often than not, gloss over them with logic or ignore them in favor of politeness to avoid offending someone.

Your first ABC lesson taught you how to read. Your second