Women's Safety Information

Women are familiar with intuition. We often just know things without any background support information. Sometimes we visualize an outcome, sometimes we hear what seems to be a silent answer to a question, sometimes we physically feel the correct thing to do and sometimes we just know without knowing how we know.

Intuition is also called gut feelings and the good news is that men, teens and kids can use gut feelings just as women do, to be safer and make good choices. Since women are the biggest cheerleaders for the safety of their loved ones, let’s make sure we are clear about how gut feelings work and how to use them to our advantage.

About Gut Feelings

Survival instincts we were born with Their job is to keep us alive They are personal to each individual No need to compare as they may be opposite of someone else’s gut feelings What may be safe for you may not be for your friend, co-worker and vice versa They are either good or bad (indifferent can be put in the good category) You have them about every person, place and situation in your life The key is to listen, feel, see and follow them when they are strongest Following them always is a great idea but rarely done
Examples of Gut Feelings

You meet someone for the first time and like them instantly You meet someone for the first time and dislike them without knowing why Someone tells you something and you have a feeling it is untrue You have a decision to make and although info points to one choice, you feel the other is best You know something is going to turn out a certain way without evidence to support it You get a creepy feeling about someone and know they are unsafe for you to be near
Acknowledging Your Gut Feelings

You may not have realized that you always have gut feelings about everything in your life. To prove this, think of someone you love and notice the first feeling or sense you have about that person. Next, think of someone who is dis-empowering or weakens you and notice what you feel, hear or sense. Although these feelings may come from already knowing these people, this exercise demonstrates how opposite gut feelings feel.

A vital part of living safely emotionally is knowing what and who strengthens you and what or who weakens you. Obviously, you cannot live your best life by immersing yourself in that which weakens you. Gut feelings are the perfect way to determine where you should be, what you should be doing and who you should allow in your life. My article on the #4 Personal Safety Secret for Women on Personal Boundaries is a must read if this interests you.

How Using Gut Feelings Creates Your Safer Future

By acknowledging gut feelings and realizing how often you have them, yours will become finely tuned. This is the absolute best way to live safer but you have to also follow them!

Example: You and your daughter are walking into the grocery store. A woman in the store prompts a bad gut feeling in you and you can tell that your daughter is uncomfortable as well. The woman asks you a question. Do you ignore your bad gut feeling so as not to offend her and answer her question against your better judgment? Remember, although she may not be an axe murdered, your gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with! Besides, if someone gives you the creeps, if anyone should be offended, it should be you.

So what should you do? Pretend you did not hear the question or excuse yourself and walk away quickly, pretend to get a phone call, etc. Your safety and that of your daughter are most important, period.

It could be that you answer the woman’s question and nothing bad happens. That’s great, but what about next time? What did you just demonstrate for your daughter to model later? Probably that it is important to be polite at any cost and that other people are more important than you are. These are subliminal messages, for the most part, but crucial to personal safety. Consider that this situation was a quiz, preparing you or your daughter for a bigger test in the future. Will you pass? Will she?

Why We Often Ignore Our Gut Feelings

The above example illustrates the very reason we so often put ourselves into dangerous situations emotionally and physically by ignoring our gut feelings. We, as women, are taught to always be polite and help others. That’s great but we make ourselves so vulnerable that we have no protection at all! We become so concerned that people won’t like us or that we will offend someone that we gloss over our survival instincts in favor of our delicate self-esteem.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

Fellow women, listen up!

We know that everyone needs safety right? Women are often the ones who promote safety at work, at home and with friends. Teens and kids don’t always know they need safety measures and men feel safer than we usually do because of their gender. The truth is, attackers and victims are both male and female.

We can all be approximately 95% safer from creeps and criminals just by learning these Top 5 Women’s Personal Safety Secrets. How? Prevention is 90% awareness. So if you know the five secrets, you can’t help but be at least 5% safer!

The 3 main reasons you haven not heard “The Secrets” before:

The secrets are simple and we tend to make things much more complicated than they need to be – When everyone learns how simple personal safety is, there will be far fewer victims. Most people avoid the topic of personal safety due to fear of acknowledging their vulnerability to crime – Burying our heads in the sand and hoping the subject of crime disappears makes us more likely targets of attackers. The focus of most safety information is negative, random safety tips and ineffective self-defense techniques – Safety must be taught in the positive what to do manner!
Top 5 Women’s Personal Safety Secrets (to share with loved ones)

Understand the “attacker” mindset – The key to knowing where someone is going is to know where they are coming from. Confident body language – Speaking this language can save your life. Your voice is your #1 weapon – Knowing the power in your own voice and how to use it effectively is vital to preventing yourself from becoming a victim. Establish and enforce personal boundaries – Knowing what is acceptable and unacceptable to you before something happens allows you to protect your personal space. Trust your gut feelings above all else – The job of these survival instincts is to keep you alive.

As you can see, each of these five personal safety secrets is very important and may, individually, repel attackers. However, putting them all together and practicing them into habits can provide you with a tremendous amount of safety, peace of mind and empowerment in your daily life.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

Women are often targeted by attackers because we make a few common mistakes about personal safety that present us as easy crime victim prospects.

We tend to be accommodating, to a fault We ignore our gut feelings Automatic trust is common with women

A few things to remember as we get into more detail about the common mistakes we make that put us in danger.

Attackers are insecure, have low self-esteem, feel out of control of their own lives and choose to control someone or something else in order to feel powerful again. Attackers look for those who appear weaker than they are (mentally, physically) to attack. Attacks may be verbal, mental, emotional or physical.
Too Accommodating

Women tend to be accommodating because we want people to like us and we enjoy being helpful. Although these traits are not bad they may allow us to be taken advantage of and pushed too far. This is where an attacker, known or unknown to you sees weakness and opportunity.

Solution: Establish and enforce personal boundaries. Know what distance you are willing to go and go no further. This will keep you from giving your power away to someone else.

Ignoring Gut Feelings

As women, we are generally much more in tune with our intuition or gut feelings than men are. However, we also tend to overlook, ignore and justify actions that are not in line with our gut feelings in order to be liked and to be nice.

Solution: Realize gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with. They will always lead you the right way. Follow them.

Automatic Trust

Because women have been raised to be nice and do good things for others, we often trust untrustworthy people automatically. We can all think back to a time we trusted someone and should not have.

Solution: Trust you gut feeling (intuition) without questioning or trying to justify it. It doesn’t have to be logical to be right. You will “feel” if someone is trustworthy or not. A good personal boundary to establish and enforce is, “If it feels wrong, avoid it.”

Although women may be targeted by attackers, these safety tips will help all of us avoid the personal safety mistakes that portray us as good victim prospects.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

Women are inherently more vulnerable to all types of attack based on gender alone so our personal safety requires that we avoid making the most common and easily correctable mistakes. We are physically weaker, more nurturing and have been brought up to care for everyone else before ourselves. If we are strong, confident and assertive, we often get called derogatory names by those who lack confidence, strength and assertiveness.

Common Mistake #1

Being nurturing to a fault – Taking care of everyone before and instead of yourself.

How to prevent:

Remember, just like flight attendants tell us, help yourself first and then those around you.Taking care of others is great but make sure you are safe and healthy first and foremost. Staying healthy not only helps us make better decisions, it keeps us strong enough to escape when necessary.

Common Mistake #2

Ignoring gut feelings – Glossing over our instincts to be polite or keep from hurting others’ feelings puts us in danger.

How to prevent:

Trust your gut feelings. They are survival instincts you were born with and their job is to keep you alive. We are more in-tune with our gut feelings, which is why we hear a lot about “women’s intuition.” Call it what you want but always pay attention it!

Common Mistake #3

Disregarding the need for personal boundaries – We think everyone will treat us with respect and when they don’t, we tend to think we deserve it.

How to prevent:

Establish and enforce personal boundaries for yourself with regard to friend, work and family situations. Establishment requires acknowledging your worthiness and determining what is acceptable and unacceptable to you. Enforcement is deciding what you will say and or do if someone violates the boundaries you’ve established for your mental, emotional and physical safety.

You will have greater personal safety, physically, emotionally and mentally when you stop making these mistakes.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

There is a valid reason why a child is often a better judge of character than their parent or any adult for that matter. Gut feelings are survival instincts we were born with and their job is to keep us alive. A child’s gut feelings are raw as they have yet to be taught to gloss over them with politeness or push them aside opting instead for logic. In fact, gut feelings have absolutely nothing to do with logic, which is why they are so often ignored. The problem with ignoring them is that they are the one and only trustworthy mechanism for your personal safety or that of your child.

Uncle Bob Story:

Let’s say Uncle Bob comes to visit every Thanksgiving and stays with your family for 4 days. The whole family adores Uncle Bob as he is fun, always has a good joke and is willing to pitch in and help.

Your 5-year-old comes to you and says he doesn’t like it when Uncle Bob sits him on his lap. You may say something like, “Oh, Uncle Bob is only here for a few days and wants to spend time with his nephew,” or “That’s silly. Go play in your room.”

Let me ask you two questions:

Are you going to force your child to be near people he is uncomfortable with so that you don’t feel embarrassed? If Uncle Bob is a pedophile, are you going to get the vibes not being in his age range or is your child, who is in his age range?

See how easy it is to tell (and show) your child that his survival instincts are unimportant? Do you think he will come to you again in the same situation? Do you think your response could possibly cost him his innocence?

The point I’m making is brutal because of its importance and intensity. We have to reawaken our sensitivities as adults because society has programmed us to avoid making waves. I’m sure you agree that making waves is far superior to enabling predators.

Remember, pedophiles groom children and families to trust and believe in them before they attack. They often target single moms and enter the relationship as the savior, the hero. They provide comfort, stability and a father figure…until they attack. Then people’s lives are changed forever.

What if Uncle Bob is not a pedophile; your child just does not like him, you ask?

Your child will have to go to school and work with people he doesn’t like. Home is supposed to be a safe haven. Letting him know that his feelings are valid and of the utmost importance by helping make other arrangements for Uncle Bob will raise his self-esteem and enhance your relationship with him forever.

There are many excellent Uncle Bobs out there just as there are many excellent men who date and marry single moms. The key is to trust your gut feelings and pay especially close attention to your child’s. Facilitate the growth and awareness of their survival instincts and in so doing, you will automatically acknowledge and trust your own, which will keep the entire family safer from creeps and criminals.

What if you haven’t followed your gut feelings and nothing bad has happened to you?

Super! But when you acknowledge your gut feelings, which you have about every person, place or situation, you will know when one is exceptionally strong. Follow that one. It could save your life or that of a loved one.


Pet People

If you have pets, you’ve probably noticed their behavior around people who turn out to be detrimental is or was different than around those who are of good character. That is because animals rely on their survival instincts (gut feelings) to stay alive and never question them. If they are uncomfortable, there is no question and they do not stick around to be polite. We can and should learn a lot from our pets.

Tips to help you nurture your child’s gut feelings:

Ask your child how he or she feels about people you came in contact with throughout the day. Ask your child which person he or she would feel comfortable asking for help if if was needed. Have a secret code word so that your child can alert you when he or she feels uncomfortable around someone so you can take action and remove yourselves from the situation immediately. Make a pact with your child that you will believe him or her when the topic is safety and that they will always tell the truth about safety situations. In my Safe Kids class, we have both parent and child actually sign an agreement. It makes both parent and child feel more accountable and comforts the child. Always opt for your child’s comfort with people first and yours second.

Now you know why children are often better judges of character than adults even though they may not know what it is they are doing.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

Women are often targeted by attackers because we make a few common mistakes about personal safety that present us as easy crime victim prospects.

We tend to be accommodating, to a fault We ignore our gut feelings Automatic trust is common with women

A few things to remember as we get into more detail about the common mistakes we make that put us in danger.

Attackers are insecure, have low self-esteem, feel out of control of their own lives and choose to control someone or something else in order to feel powerful again. Attackers look for those who appear weaker than they are (mentally, physically) to attack. Attacks may be verbal, mental, emotional or physical.
Too Accommodating

Women tend to be accommodating because we want people to like us and we enjoy being helpful. Although these traits are not bad they may allow us to be taken advantage of and pushed too far. This is where an attacker, known or unknown to you sees weakness and opportunity.

Solution: Establish and enforce personal boundaries. Know what distance you are willing to go and go no further. This will keep you from giving your power away to someone else.

Ignoring Gut Feelings

As women, we are generally much more in tune with our intuition or gut feelings than men are. However, we also tend to overlook, ignore and justify actions that are not in line with our gut feelings in order to be liked and to be nice.

Solution: Realize gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with. They will always lead you the right way. Follow them.

Automatic Trust

Because women have been raised to be nice and do good things for others, we often trust untrustworthy people automatically. We can all think back to a time we trusted someone and should not have.

Solution: Trust you gut feeling (intuition) without questioning or trying to justify it. It doesn’t have to be logical to be right. You will “feel” if someone is trustworthy or not. A good personal boundary to establish and enforce is, “If it feels wrong, avoid it.”

Although women may be targeted by attackers, these safety tips will help all of us avoid the personal safety mistakes that portray us as good victim prospects.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

Fellow women, listen up!

We know that everyone needs safety right? Women are often the ones who promote safety at work, at home and with friends. Teens and kids don’t always know they need safety measures and men feel safer than we usually do because of their gender. The truth is, attackers and victims are both male and female.

We can all be approximately 95% safer from creeps and criminals just by learning these Top 5 Women’s Personal Safety Secrets. How? Prevention is 90% awareness. So if you know the five secrets, you can’t help but be at least 5% safer!

The 3 main reasons you haven not heard “The Secrets” before:

The secrets are simple and we tend to make things much more complicated than they need to be – When everyone learns how simple personal safety is, there will be far fewer victims. Most people avoid the topic of personal safety due to fear of acknowledging their vulnerability to crime – Burying our heads in the sand and hoping the subject of crime disappears makes us more likely targets of attackers. The focus of most safety information is negative, random safety tips and ineffective self-defense techniques – Safety must be taught in the positive what to do manner!
Top 5 Women’s Personal Safety Secrets (to share with loved ones)

Understand the “attacker” mindset – The key to knowing where someone is going is to know where they are coming from. Confident body language – Speaking this language can save your life. Your voice is your #1 weapon – Knowing the power in your own voice and how to use it effectively is vital to preventing yourself from becoming a victim. Establish and enforce personal boundaries – Knowing what is acceptable and unacceptable to you before something happens allows you to protect your personal space. Trust your gut feelings above all else – The job of these survival instincts is to keep you alive.

As you can see, each of these five personal safety secrets is very important and may, individually, repel attackers. However, putting them all together and practicing them into habits can provide you with a tremendous amount of safety, peace of mind and empowerment in your daily life.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author:

Women are often targeted by attackers because we make a few common mistakes about personal safety that present us as easy crime victim prospects.

We tend to be accommodating, to a fault We ignore our gut feelings Automatic trust is common with women

A few things to remember as we get into more detail about the common mistakes we make that put us in danger.

Attackers are insecure, have low self-esteem, feel out of control of their own lives and choose to control someone or something else in order to feel powerful again. Attackers look for those who appear weaker than they are (mentally, physically) to attack. Attacks may be verbal, mental, emotional or physical.
Too Accommodating

Women tend to be accommodating because we want people to like us and we enjoy being helpful. Although these traits are not bad they may allow us to be taken advantage of and pushed too far. This is where an attacker, known or unknown to you sees weakness and opportunity.

Solution: Establish and enforce personal boundaries. Know what distance you are willing to go and go no further. This will keep you from giving your power away to someone else.

Ignoring Gut Feelings

As women, we are generally much more in tune with our intuition or gut feelings than men are. However, we also tend to overlook, ignore and justify actions that are not in line with our gut feelings in order to be liked and to be nice.

Solution: Realize gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with. They will always lead you the right way. Follow them.

Automatic Trust

Because women have been raised to be nice and do good things for others, we often trust untrustworthy people automatically. We can all think back to a time we trusted someone and should not have.

Solution: Trust you gut feeling (intuition) without questioning or trying to justify it. It doesn’t have to be logical to be right. You will “feel” if someone is trustworthy or not. A good personal boundary to establish and enforce is, “If it feels wrong, avoid it.”

Although women may be targeted by attackers, these safety tips will help all of us avoid the personal safety mistakes that portray us as good victim prospects.

By: Kelly Rudolph

About the Author: