Safety Tips for Women - Guns and Home Defense

We live in a society where women are the relentless targets of assaults, rapes and murders perpetrated by men. It does not matter if the woman is young or old, thugs assault, rape and murder women of all ages.

Unfortunately, many women never think that an assault could happen to them or they don’t think about it at all and thus are not prepared for such an unthinkable event.

It does not matter if the woman is young or old, thugs assault, rape and murder women of all ages.

Here are a few safety tips for women:

1. Take your personal safety seriously. Many women believe that bad things only happen to other people. This could not be further from the truth. Ask the vast majority of women who have been victimized by strangers and they will say that they never thought it would happen to them.
2. Always be aware of your surroundings. This seems obvious, but how many women actually take their safety seriously enough to regularly check their surroundings for potential danger? Don’t walk around listening to music with your earbuds in, texting, looking at your phone, or talking on your phone while you are walking, especially if you are alone. These distractions can make you vulnerable to a potential attacker lurking in the shadows or sneaking up from behind you. There is no activity on your phone worth being assaulted, raped or murdered over.
3. Follow your gut instincts. If you see a male approach who makes you feel uncomfortable, especially late at night, move as far away from that person as you can…i.e. cross the street and quickly walk (run if necessary) to an area that is less isolated. Don’t worry about offending that person because your safety is more important than hurting his feelings. If you are walking to your car which is located in a remote location, ask a security guard (if there is one), a friend or colleague if they can accompany you to your car. Do not walk to your car alone unless you have a means to effectively defend yourself (i.e. a gun, pepper spray) in the event a stranger follows you. If you must walk to your car alone, and a man is following you, maintain a safe distance away from him and put a barrier (i.e. parked cars) between you and your would be perpetrator.
4. No property is worth your life. If you are robbed or mugged, do not resist and let the criminal have your purse, phone, etc. Those items can all be replaced and are not worth dying over. For example, if you work in retail, at say a convenience store, robberies seem inevitable. DO NOT fight over someone shoplifting or stealing, it is not worth losing your life over.
5. Avoid potentially dangerous situations. Don’t walk home from a bar, club, etc. intoxicated, as this makes you an easy target for sexual predators, muggers and murderers.
6. Avoid walking, hiking or jogging alone, particularly at night or in areas with little to no other people present. There have been instances where women have been abducted because they were walking alone at night with no one else around in a park, street, parking garage, etc. If possible ask someone you know or a friend to accompany you on your walk, hike or jog.
7. Avoid using social media, texting or playing games on your phone while sitting in your parked car, especially in a parking lot or parking garage at any time of day, particularly at night. Doing so can make you an easy target for a predator.
8. Avoid getting into arguments with men you don’t know, whether in a road rage incident, a bar or any other place. Doing so, could subject you to serious injury or even death. Here’s one such example. and here is a video of a woman getting hit in her face during an argument with a man in a bar.
9. Don’t get into (or stay in) an elevator when there is only one man or a group of men present. Think that’s crazy? Then you haven’t heard about how on March 7, 2016, a Kentucky woman was followed by a complete stranger into a mall elevator who then followed her to her car in the parking garage. Even though he was on top of her in her car, beating and then threatening her with a knife, she was able to access the gun in her purse and shoot her assailant, who then fled after being shot in the neck. Here is a link to the story including elevator surveillance video of her violent, creepy attacker, who was a complete stranger to her. Here is a video of this incident.
10. Don’t accept (or give) rides from strangers. ‌‌Case in Point: In 1992, Desert Hot Springs, California, Jennifer Asbenson, 19, had missed a late night bus to work, so when a stranger pulled up to the bus stop and offered her a ride, she accepted and got in his car because the driver “looked” harmless. She also feared losing her job if she was late one more time.
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  The next night, while waiting for the bus to work, the same guy pulled up in his car again offering her a ride. Jennifer accepted because she thought this guy must be harmless since he didn’t do anything bad to her the night before. Unfortunately for her, the guy assaulted and raped her. Later, he forced her into the trunk of his car (presumably to look for a place to dispose of her body) driving along a desert road.
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  Fortunately, Jennifer was able to open the trunk of the car, run down the road as her attacker chased her with a machete, before she was able to flag down a truck to save her. As it turns out, Jennifer was the only victim to survive crossing paths with her abductor who turned out to be the notorious serial killer, Andrew Urdiales. Urdiales had killed 8 women before he was finally caught five years after the abduction and escape of Jennifer Asbenson. Her story is featured on “I Survived”. Here is a link to one of the news stories about her: http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/21510-in-the-clutches-of-a-killer-how-this-woman-escaped-from-a-serial-murderer-with ‌‌What are the lessons to be learned from Jennifer’s ordeal? NO JOB is worth dying over. Never, ever get into a car with a stranger even if you believe it would save you from getting fired from your job.
Don’t leave a party, bar or club with a stranger. Hooking up with a guy at a late night party can be very, very dangerous. There are many instances where a woman meets a guy at a party, who seems to be the “perfect gentleman” or is a total “hottie”, and then leaves the party with this total stranger. Unfortunately for some of these women, that “perfect gentleman” or “hottie” later turns out to be a violent sociopath who ends up raping, assaulting and sometimes murdering his victim. Male predators are clever and can be very convincing actors. They are on their best behavior when trying to ensnare a victim because they know all too well that most women are naive when it comes to their personal safety. All it usually takes is a “pretty” face and some charming conversation to convince many women to fall prey to their ploys. Just consider the Natalee Holloway case. REMEMBER, just because a guy you meet somewhere SEEMS nice and is attractive, does not mean he is incapable of harming you. This is the dangerous myth that some women believe.
Online Dating and Hook-ups. Despite what may be portrayed on popular online sites where a woman can meet the man of her dreams, you can also meet the man of your nightmares. Run a background check on your potential date. Why? Do you really want to get involved with someone who you later find out has a violent criminal record which may include domestic abuse, stalking ex-girlfriends, drug abuse and convictions for rape, or even murder? Running a background check BEFORE you go out with a complete stranger you met online can potentially save you a lot of trouble down the road if that guy has a criminal record.
Keep all windows and doors locked at all times, especially if you live alone. If you rent an apartment, consider getting a Flip Guard which can protect your deadbolt locks from bumping, picking or unauthorized entry by your landlord or building maintenance person while you are home (i.e. sleeping or showering). Learn how to harden your home against a home invasion.
NEVER open your door to a stranger, at any time of day, but especially at night. If you are expecting someone to visit you at home, before you open the door, visually check (through a peep hole, window or video surveillance) that the person you are expecting is actually at your front door and not a stranger. If you are expecting a package delivery and do not need to sign for it, wait until the delivery person has dropped off your package and returned to his vehicle before you open your door to retrieve the package.
Have a means to defend yourself. Let’s face it, most male predators are bigger and stronger than their female victims. To have no means of protection could be a fatal mistake. A gun can be your most effective means of self defense. However, if you do get a gun, train regularly to use it and carry it (concealed) everywhere you go (even at home) where permitted by law.
Have a plan. Know what to do should you be confronted by a threat. Predators rely on the element of surprise and the threat of violence to disorient, instill fear and induce compliance from their victims. Experts suggest that women should never get in the car with their attacker/predator. If you are taken to a secondary location (i.e. the woods or some other isolated location) it is statistically likely that you will be killed or assaulted and left for dead. If you decide to run from the perpetrator who has a gun, DO NOT RUN AWAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE…this makes you an easy target to shoot. You may want to run zig zag and erratically to make it more difficult for him to shoot you.