When a string of assaults against women in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood hit the news in late January, radar went up for a lot of women throughout the city. Many were quoted by the local media making comments such as “I’ve always felt safe around there” and “I’ve never heard of anything bad happening in that area before”–the kinds of remarks that make self-defense experts, criminologists and other experts on crime wince.
“Anyone can be a target at anytime,” says Paul Henry Danylewich, the director of White Tiger Street Defense in Montreal and the author of a new book called “Fearless: The Complete Personal Safety Guide for Women” (University of Toronto Press, 2000). “It’s important to develop a plan for what to do if you are ever approached.”
Doing that can greatly lessen your chances of being a victim, experts say. “Attackers have already planned for typical frightened reactions,” notes Bob Stuber, a personal and family safety expert based in Chico, Calif. “What they haven’t planned for are smart choices that have been thought through ahead of time.”
Elaborate plans of action that warrant lots of time and tools aren’t necessary. “All that’s required is one exercise of `What would I do if,'” Stuber says. “Decide what will work best for you in a variety of situations.”
Jennifer Kaiser, who teaches Fightback, a self-defense seminar for women, and is a second-degree black belt in a martial art called taijitsu in Ann Arbor, Mich., says it’s imperative to be proactive rather than reactive.
“An attack avoided through awareness is an attack that’s been won,” she explains. “Don’t be afraid to hurt someone’s feelings by not going into an elevator or crossing a street to avoid him. Listen to that little voice.”
But Kaiser cautions that there is a fine line between awareness and paranoia. “You don’t want to walk around in a state of panic. Acting jumpy and repeatedly looking over your shoulder is just as bad,” she says, noting an attacker might try to capitalize on that fearfulness.
Most attackers don’t want to deal with someone who is going to put up a big fight, so appearing confident–walking with a self-assured gait, eyes focused and shoulders back, and carrying something as common as an umbrella that can be used to fight back, can go a long way.
“An assailant is more likely to wait for an easier target to come along if you seem like you’ll cause him trouble,” says William Powell, a fourth-degree black belt in kenpo karate who runs Powell’s Way of Kenpo Martial Arts School in Brookfield. “The last thing he wants is to draw attention to the situation and get caught,” says Powell, who also teaches self-defense to law enforcement and military personnel.
Danylewich says women should evaluate their individual strengths and weaknesses. Physical resistance is one of many different resources. “Or you might take your wallet and throw it to the ground behind the aggressor. As soon as you toss it, run in the opposite direction yelling for help,” he says. “There is no one right way to deal with these situations.”
Police reported that in the past two months four women, walking along residential streets near where Old Town and Lincoln Park meet, have been grabbed from behind by a man wearing a ski mask, sexually assaulted or fondled, then beaten. They believe one person is responsible for the attacks, each of which has taken place in the early evening hours. Two aldermen have offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the attacker.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about two-thirds of rapes and sexual assaults occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and one of every four rapes takes place in a public area or in a parking garage. While most women know enough to avoid dark streets and deserted areas, other places that are common attack sites are less obvious–public bathrooms, parks, malls–anyplace where you’re likely to be distracted or have your guard down.
Self-defense tools such as pepper spray, knives and even guns should be considered carefully, warns Danylewich. “Be certain that you are willing and able to use the weapon. Many times the aggressor uses the victim’s own weapon against her.”
Most experts agree that there is no one type of attacker. “The stereotypical mean guy lurking behind a bush usually doesn’t mesh with reality,” says Tod Burke, a criminal justice professor at Radford University in Radford, Va. “Don’t let appearance be your guide. Serial killers and rapists work by blending in and appearing trustworthy. The truth is that many attackers are average people who have families and good jobs and go to the same bars and clubs that you do.”
“Attackers know a clean-cut look will get them farther in what they’re aiming to do,” agrees Kim Ogg, executive director of Crime-Stoppers of Houston, cautioning that this is true even of people you meet in social situations. “Observations about who a person surrounds himself with and how long he’s known them will tell you a lot more about someone than preconceived notions based on his looks or what he’s wearing.”
Consider your own safety to be as important as that of your family’s and friends’, and don’t do anything you wouldn’t want someone you loved to do, Kaiser advises. “Don’t take unnecessary risks.”
