Unfortunately rape can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anyone. The way you dress and look has no bearing on an attacker. Most rapes or potential rapes occur because the attacker sees you as an easy target or vulnerable to attack. Listening to your gut instincts that are telling you that something is wrong can actually save you from an attack, get out of that situation immediately. Women have this drilled in their heads from the time they are teenagers, but become complacent. Remember that 1 in 6 women will be assaulted sexually at some point in their lifetime.
Here are a few tips that will ward off a potential attack. Never accept drinks at parties and never leave your drink unattended. If you did not pour it do not drink it. Do not drink from an open container. Never venture into an isolated area with a person you do not know. If you know a shortcut that will get you home quicker that you take during the day, do not take it after dark, especially if it is in a dim, wooded area. Stay as open as you can at night away from trees and bushes. Keep your doors locked and windows up after dark and never pick up strangers asking for a ride. If you are at work and it is dark, have someone walk you to your car, and call someone to let them know you are leaving late and what time you expect to be home. Stay alert and trust your gut instincts.
If you are raped, fight back, kick, scream, bite, and hit. Do not plead with your attacker. Attackers often get off on power and pleading only fuels that need. If you are raped do not bathe or wash. You are removing evidence that will find your attacker. Seek medical attention and report it to the police immediately.
Domestic violence happens in homes every day. It does not discriminate between race, age, gender, or sexual preference. Signs of domestic violence should be easy to spot, right? Wrong. Some forms of abuse will leave no outward signs of damage, while causing a great deal of scarring on the inside. Leaving the abused feeling depressed, alone and helpless. People are still of a mind to look away and not get involved. But that only solidifies the thoughts of the abused and empowers the abuser.
Whether you are in an abusive relationship or you know someone who is in an abusive relationship there are some signs that would point to domestic violence. Are you afraid of your partner? Avoiding certain topics that you know will set them off in a fit of violence or cause them to yell. You feel ashamed of how your partner treats you and you avoid family and friends. Your partner hides money from you and limits your use of a vehicle. Those are ways that the abuser can control you. This is not a healthy relationship.
If you know someone who may be in an abusive relationship, unless they have marks on their outer body that is obvious, you may not be aware of the abuse. Someone who you are used to seeing every day and now suddenly you don’t see them at all, there could be abuse there. If you notice that your friend looks to their partner before speaking and seems scared, that’s a sign of abuse.
It is the sole purpose of the abuser to gain and keep control over the abused in any way possible. No tactic is off limits. Fear, shame, intimidation, and guilt will be used to keep you firmly in the abuser’s clutches. As the abused it is your responsibility to admit that your relationship is abusive. No one should have to live in fear and be subjected to taunts and threats.
When you go on vacation, you are excited, and anxious to begin your trip. You have everything packed that you could possibly need. Items like your laptop, camera, GPS, extra money, and any jewelry that you might need for that special night out. What better way to ruin a vacation than for you to be robbed. It happens, every day, to millions of people. There are ways that you can prevent being robbed or at least lessen that chance for you and your family.
When you book your hotel, ask about the security there. Do they have security cameras? Do they have security boxes for individual rooms? Most hotels, good hotels, will have some sort of safety or security box for the rooms in their hotels. Make use of them. If it can be avoided do not leave any valuables inside your hotel room.
Use luggage that locks. It is a lot harder to get into your luggage if it locks and most thieves want to be in and out of your hotel room. I know you are saying, “They can take the luggage out of the room”. Yes, this is true, so do not leave anything of value inside your luggage. If they take your luggage, you are only out your clothes, and you can buy enough of those to get you home.
We love our laptops. These laptops contain our whole lives inside them. And what would we do without our GPS units? How can you capture memories without your digital camera? Password protect everything you can. Backup files on your laptop before you leave. Write down serial numbers and model numbers on everything you take with you. Take pictures of all of your valuables before you leave home and have them printed at your local photo store. Thieves love tourists. We are easy targets because we do not know the area and will only be there for a short time.
