Blog 4

What can a woman do to reduce her risk of assault?

I personally feel as though a woman does not have enough control to really reduce risk of assault on her own. However, I believe it is important for a woman to be well educated about rape. Becoming familiar with "Date Rape Drugs", and learning tactics to avoid them like, not leaving your drink unattended or taking drinks from someone you do not know. Also, understanding different laws about rape. Our textbook has some really good points on how to reduce the risk of rape. The first point has a lot to do with what I thought, which is education about rape. Our textbook explains that discussing and understanding the facts about sexual assault is very important. Woman should know their rights and understand exactly what sexual assault is. I also read some very good advice about reducing the risk of date rape. It is important not to ignore signs of controlling behavior. Our textbook explains that a woman should be explicit with communication, they should not say "no" in a way that can be interpreted as "maybe" or "yes". I know personally as a teenager a guy could completely ignore the fact that I'm saying "no", because they think I actually want them to. A lot of men may think, "well she let me go this far, so I doubt if she actually wants to stop". It's important for a woman to respond firm and serious with their answer. Even though majority of assault cases are from people women know it is still important to be cautious of stranger danger. No matter what time of day it is a woman should always be aware of her surroundings when she is alone. Avoid walking alone at night and keep your car windows up and doors locked. If possible walk with a friend or keep some form of protection (Mace, pocket knife). After reading more about what to do to reduce risk, I've realized that I have not been doing as much as I should. I think I am way too comfortable in my environment, but I have to remember anything can happen. So I plan on implementing some of these strategies in my daily life.