10 Mistakes Women Make That Could Lead to Victimization
Women of all ages have always been and unfortunately always will be victims of violent crimes such as rape. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, young and old. But it can be prevented by becoming more aware. These are some top 10 mistakes women make in their everyday lives that could possibly lead to them becoming victims of a violent crime:
1. Believing it could never happen to you. Every woman who has ever been raped has probably thought this at one time or another. The truth is that it can happen to anyone and every woman needs to be aware of this.
2. Believing no one would want to hurt you, or that rape only happens to beautiful women who wear tight fitting clothes. This is being naive. Actually, rapists look for women wearing loose fitting clothes that are easy to rip off. They also do not care about their victim's feelings or whether or not they hurt anyone. They only want control of their victim.
3. Getting into a car with a stranger or someone who has a weapon and is demanding you into the car. Making this mistake could result in tragedy. Once you are in a car with an assailant, he will take you to a remote place where no one can witness his crimes. Instead, this is the time to fight, scream, use pepper spray or a stun gun, vomit if you can - anything to attract attention and repulse the attacker into letting you go. DO NOT GET IN THE CAR.
4. Walking alone in your neighborhood after dark because you believe nothing could happen to you in your own neighborhood. Assaults can happen anywhere and very often do happen close to your own home. If you must walk alone at night, take a dog which is the best deterrent, or a can of pepper spray or a stun gun.
5. Walking or jogging alone in a wooded area listening to your Ipod and not carrying a weapon. Again, many women do this with the belief that nothing bad could happen to them. If you can't find someone to walk or jog with, once again I would recommend taking a dog, even if it is a friend's dog. Another safety precaution would be to carry a stun gun or pepper spray. One form of pepper spray comes in a dumbbell type weight you carry in the your hands while jogging or walking. It isn't obvious that there is a hidden canister of pepper spray within the hand held weight, so it is very handy in case of a sudden attack.
6. Walking to your car in an isolated parking area with your mind on far-away thoughts and your keys buried deep within your purse. Someone can take you by surprise if you are not paying attention. Also, those few moments you are fumbling in your purse for your keys gives an assailant plenty of time to attack.
7. Going home with someone you meet in a bar after having a few too many drinks. Although this seems too obvious, it is an error some women have made and have paid dearly for. Judgment gets skewed after a few drinks and caution goes out the door after a few more. Go drinking with friends and leave with friends. Don't take the risk of ruining your life, if not losing it, for a one night stand.
8. Leaving windows open at night, especially if living alone. Many assaults and rapes occur by someone climbing through an open window or one with only a screen on it. A screen is easy to cut through by a determined offender. If you live on a ground floor, be sure windows are locked in a position that is not wide enough for anyone to climb through. Use air conditioning if at all possible on hot nights so you can keep your windows shut and locked. Also, there are alarms you can install on your windows that will alert you to anyone trying to enter.
9. Getting together with someone you met online. Some people do find lasting relationships through the internet. But many times this is an avenue for sexual predators to use in their search for victims. If your instincts tell you it is safe to meet your new online friend in person, do it in a safe environment such as a restaurant or other public place where there are other people around.
10. Staying in a relationship that is dominated by domestic violence. Any relationship that is controlled by one partner to the extent of emotional and/or physical abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse or any other type of controlling methods is not a healthy relationship. Rape is never okay, whether it is carried out by an intimate spouse or not because it is all about control and violence.
Keep these mistakes from happening. Just remember, assault CAN happen to you, so be prepared. Always have some kind of option, some plan of escape, and carry non-lethal self-defense weapons. Take your safety into your own hands with confidence.
About the Author
Karleen Lindsey is an advocate for women's safety and confidence building. She believes every woman should feel safe out on the street and in her own home. To learn more about some of her self-defense weapons, visit -> http://www.lindseysafensecureproducts.com/catalog/stun-guns-c-240_82.html and sign up for her free report and newsletter containing tips and discounts.
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