By Luis and Melissa Rivera
Rape is the fastest growing crime in the world today with the US as the country with the highest number of incidents. One of every four women that attend college has been either raped or suffered from an attempted rape. A woman is raped, at a minimum every minute. On average, 1,871 rapes occur every day, however, 85% of all rapes are never reported. It is believed that the number of rapes in the US may be as high as 500,000 per year. These acts of violence are perpetrated against women of all ages (no woman is too young or too old for a rapist). In fact three out of five rapes that occur are against women under the age of 18, while three out of every ten victims are under the age of 11. The frightening part is that of all the rape incidents only 22% are actually done by strangers, while friends, acquaintances and or members of the victim’s family perpetrate the other 78% (usually at someone’s home vs. a dark alley).As mentioned above, these violent crimes are seldom reported to the authorities. According to rape victims, the reasons for not reporting a rape are as follows; nothing could be done about it (43%), it is a private matter (27%), afraid of how the authorities would respond (12%), it wasn’t important enough (12%). To a victim, the toll of a rape is not limited to the physical aspect of it. 31% of the women that experience this crime will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. A woman that has been raped is 8.7 more likely to commit suicide than victims of other crimes. TELL SOMEONE ABOUT IT !!!The Twelve Commandments of Rape Prevention
1.Stay Alert; be aware of your surroundings and the environment.
Stay Alert; be aware of your surroundings and the environment.2.Any man is a potential rapist.
Any man is a potential rapist.3.Family, friends and acquaintances are most likely to rape.
Family, friends and acquaintances are most likely to rape.4.Exhibited self-confidence is often the best rape prevention.
Exhibited self-confidence is often the best rape prevention.5.Alcohol consumption figures prominently in rape-drink sparingly.
Alcohol consumption figures prominently in rape-drink sparingly.6.You have the right to dress as provocatively as you please, drink as much as you want, and go wherever you like with whom ever you please. However, all the attention you’ll get by doing this will make you a likely rape victim.
You have the right to dress as provocatively as you please, drink as much as you want, and go wherever you like with whom ever you please. However, all the attention you’ll get by doing this will make you a likely rape victim.7.Use the two-person rule, “Travel in Pairs.”
Use the two-person rule, “Travel in Pairs.”8.If you feel ill at ease call the POLICE, or a trusted friend. Trust your intuition, if a guy feels wrong to you, stay away from him.
If you feel ill at ease call the POLICE, or a trusted friend. Trust your intuition, if a guy feels wrong to you, stay away from him.9.Move through well-lit areas. Rapists hate them, as they don’t want to be seen or recognized.
Move through well-lit areas. Rapists hate them, as they don’t want to be seen or recognized.10. Hang around places where there are people around. Rapists don’t stand a chance with a crowd as witnesses.
Hang around places where there are people around. Rapists don’t stand a chance with a crowd as witnesses. 11.If assaulted make as much noise as possible get away from the rapist and run away as fast as you can.
If assaulted make as much noise as possible get away from the rapist and run away as fast as you can.12.Whether you decide to resist a rapist is an intensely personal decision that no one can second-guess. There could be situations where you might decide not to resist and allow someone to rape you. It’s your call, and there should be no guilt associated with that decision “You can survive a rape.” Survival is the primary consideration. However, YOU MUST REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY !!
Whether you decide to resist a rapist is an intensely personal decision that no one can second-guess. There could be situations where you might decide not to resist and allow someone to rape you. It’s your call, and there should be no guilt associated with that decision “You can survive a rape.” Survival is the primary consideration. However, YOU MUST REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY !! Situational Awareness, Counter-Surveillance, and Safety
(At Home, in the Car and on the Streets)
Situational awareness is been aware of your surroundings and if threatened, to take appropriate actions. Look around and notice people. However, understand that a rapist does not have a diabolic face or a tag that makes him easy to detect or identify. A rapist looks just like any other cat on the streets, always looking for an easy prey. Therefore, the first teaching point on how not to become a victim of a rapist is not to look like an easy target. Body language is very important “Look and act confident.” Again, the bad guys would go for someone that looks like a victim rather than someone that looks like they can and will put up a fight.
If you believe that you are been followed, go to a safe location immediately. Places where you can find a Police Officer such as hospitals, police stations, and government buildings. If a Police Officer cannot be found, ask security personnel to call one. When driving, have your key ready before you walk to your car. If you are shopping, use a shopping cart, and do not approach the car with so many bags in your hands that you cannot see what is going on around you. Check the inside of the car before getting in; keep the doors of the car locked and the windows up. If you have to open a car window, do not open it more than necessary to either get some fresh air in the car, or to talk and or exchange documents with someone. If someone manages to get inside the car, get out and run to the nearest safe location or populated place. However, know where you are running. Don’t help the bad guy by running into a dead end. Make sure to have at least ¼ tank of gas at all times and do not pick up hitchhikers. If you would not stop to pick-up a stranger, you should not stop to help one either? If you see someone in distress on the road, call 911. Let the people that get pay to help them earn their money.
There are many other things you can do to detect if someone is following you either on foot or vehicle. Johnny Walker, the American naval officer convicted of spying for the former Soviet Union, asked his handler for surveillance detection training (he was concern with the FBI following him). His Russian handler in turn advised him to read the “The French Connection,” a book written by Robin Moore. The book is based on the largest narcotics seizure of all time in 1962. In 1971 director, William Friedkin made it into a movie with the same name. Both the movie and the book depict commonsense surveillance detection techniques.
On Foot. In the movie the French Connection, two cops followed the bad guy “Alain Charnier” through Manhattan. Charnier casually does some Window Shopping. He made some Casual Stops along the way, entered the “Rolando Maia Flowers” flower shop and continued to move through a subway station. He went to Grand Central Station and stopped to get something to drink at a fast food stand.
Let’s analyze Charnier’s actions along his stroll through Manhattan. He stopped and did some window-shopping along the way; Charnier used the reflection of the store windows to observe or look for anyone following. Charnier entering the flower shop and stopping for a drink at the train station; by been observant of others, he was able to see people that arrived to the location with him, or soon after. This allowed him to observe their behavior and their actions while at the location (Potential Bad Guys may display unusual behavior such as staring or quickly looking away). He was also able to observe their reaction when he left the flower shop. By doing these things, Charnier began to determine that he was in fact been followed.
Bottom line is that by simply heightening your sense of awareness, and with a little ingenuity, you can detect if someone is in fact following you.
On Vehicle. Detecting if someone is following you by vehicle can also be accomplished while in the conduct of daily routines. For example, if you stop at the bakery on your way home, you can detect someone that is following you by simply observing the actions of vehicles that arrive at the location with you or soon after. Keeping an eye out for the actions of other vehicles during turns, traffic lights, “U”-turns, etc. will assist in the detection of potential Bad Guys. Grant it, some of these encounters may be just pure coincidence. However, if you suspect that the activities observed might be a BAD GUY following you, then these activities should be treated as such. It is important to remember that an individual that you have observed in multiple occasions may very well be a potential rapist.
Other family members may be able to assist in determining if you in fact are been followed. On the way home, call a family member, have him or her look out the window as you approach the house and try to identify anyone that may be following you. The same applies for when you are leaving the house. When at home, keep doors and windows locked as well as the shades drawn; this will make it hard for the bad guys to determine if you are alone. A pip-hole at the front door is a good thing to have as well as having dead bolts and door jamming devices. Keep the house well lit outside at night and do not let the children answer the door. Do not hide the keys out side the house. If you are leaving the house for a few days, leave the keys with a neighbor. Have him or her turns the outside lights on at night and takes out the garbage on pick-up days. Keep your TVs on a timer, this way it will be harder for the bad guys to figure out if there is or isn’t anyone at home. Install a Security Alarm System. And last but not least, have a male voice message in the answering machine vs. the nice polite female voice that comes with most machines.
Psychological Escape Ploys
Since women are in general physically weaker than men, you must utilize a different kind of strength… USE YOUR INTELLIGENCE! Many women have actually escape rape by outsmarting their assailants. Since someone known to the victim commits must rapes, psychological ploys may be more effective in such circumstances. Examples:1. Claim that you are secretly HIV positive or infected with any other STD.
2. That you are recently pregnant and that you fear for the fetus.
3. Suggest a later rendezvous.
4. Suggest that the children might wake up or that you are expecting a relative or someone to arrive soon.
5. Suggest a change of location; this can buy you some time to attempt to cool him off
And have him reconsider.
6. Never threaten him with going to the police. In the contrary, tell him that if he let you
Go, you’ll forget the entire thing ever happened.
“THE LIMIT IS YOUR IMAGINATION”
It is important to understand that ploys are not guaranteed to work. However, you would not know unless you try. “YOU DO WHAT YOU MUST DO TO SURVIVE”
Even if it means giving in!!!
Weapons
It is important to realize that all the preventive measures in the world may not be enough to deter a determined rapist. Therefore, it is very important to be prepared for the worst “IF YOU PREPARE FOR THE WORST, THE REST IS GRAVY.”
The worst-case scenario would be that you have to confront the rapist. If you decide that you are going to stand your ground and resist, then your response must take him out of commission long enough for you to escape. We’ve already said that women are in general physically weaker than men, that you must utilize a different kind of strength… YOUR INTELLIGENCE! There are some things you should consider in order to even the odds. Some people recommend Noisemakers like Whistles and or Air Horns. I believe these items are useful, however, not violent enough to discourage a rapist, especially if he is armed. These items must be complemented with tools that can actually cause physical harm and or pain to the attacker. Non-lethal weapons such as irritants like Mace and Pepper Spray or specially designed weapons like the “Travel Wrench Key Ring” are highly recommended. The Travel Wrench was invented by “Mr. Kelly S. Worden.” It was design after the “Barrio Knife” of Philippine and Indonesia Martial Arts. However, unlike the knife, you can carry this low profile key ring anywhere and still deliver an attack with the same devastating effect as the knife. Other items that can be used are edge weapons such as small pocketknives or even a credit card (the edge of a credit card will cut just as well as any edge weapon especially when used against the neck and or throat area). A heavy hairbrush, small mirrors, combs and the antenna on your cell phone (goes right into the assailants’ eye) can also be utilized as weapons.Of course, you’d have to be able to get to these items in order to use them. This is why you must also learn how to use the natural weapons of your body. These natural weapons when employed with enough force and speed against the vital points of the body are as effective as the aforementioned ones. It is your life you are fighting for! Therefore, every single blow you deliver must be delivered with the intent to harm, the person that is trying to harm you. The following are some of the Vital Points:1. Temple 6. Neck11. Kidney 16. Inner thigh
6. Neck11. Kidney 16. Inner thigh2. Eyes7. Collar bone 12. Liver17. Knee
7. Collar bone 12. Liver17. Knee 3. Nose8. Heart 13. Hip joint 18. Calf
8. Heart 13. Hip joint 18. Calf4. Lower jaw 9. Solar Plexus14. Groin 19. Shin bone
14. Groin 19. Shin bone5. Ear 10. Floating ribs15. Outer thigh20. Ankle
10. Floating ribs15. Outer thigh20. AnkleExample of Self-defense techniques:
The assailant grabs the victim by the neck in an attempt to force the victim into submission. The victim grabs his wrists to relax his grip kicks the bad guy between his legs.
She quickly brings her head down and underneath the attacker’s arm while simultaneously sliding away from the wall. She attacks the assailant’s knee with a downward kick and runs away from him yelling rape as loud as she can.
The assailant throws the victim to the floor, jumps on top of her and begins to strangle her. The victim pushes the assailants’ right arm with both of her hands (out away from her neck)
The victim grabs the assailants’ wrist with her left hand, throws her right arm over and around his arm just above the elbow, and grabs her left wrist. With one swift motion the victim (without releasing the grip on the assailant’s arm) swings her upper body towards his head while throwing her left leg over the assailant’s back dislocating his shoulder.
The information in this article is the result of formal training, personal experience in security operations and in-depth research. The techniques and materials discussed in it have proven to be effective. However, it is not the intent of the authors to create a false sense of security for the reader. It is impossible for anyone to guarantee that the information provided in this article could prevent people from becoming a victim of a determined individual or criminal. What it can do is provide the reader with general understanding and information from which to develop procedures and measures that may help make the individual or individuals a less desirable target to the criminals.
