A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were
> interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and
> here are some interesting facts:
>
> 1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim
> is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman
> with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can
> easily be grabbed . They are also likely to go after a
> woman with long hair . Women with short hair are not
> common targets..
>
> 2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will
> look for women who's clothing is easy to remove
> quickly. Many of them carry scissors around specifically
> to cut clothing.
>
> 3) They also look for women on their cell
> phone, searching through their purse, or doing other
> activities while walking because they are off-guard and can
> be easily overpowered.
>
> 4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early
> morning, between 5: 00a.m. And 8:30a.m.
>
> 5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked
> is grocery store parking lots. The number two: office
> parking lots/garages. Number three: public restrooms.
>
> 6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to
> grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where
> they don't have to worry about getting caught.
>
> 7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a
> 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
>
> 8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get
> discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them
> to realize that going after you isn't worth it because
> it will be time-consuming.
>
> 9) These men said they would not pick on women who have
> umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a
> distance, in their hands.
>
> Keys are NOT a deterrent because you have to get really
> close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the
> idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
>
> 10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If
> someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage
> or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the
> face and ask them a question, like what time is it?, or
> make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is so
> cold out here,' 'We're in for a bad
> winter.' Now you've seen their face and could
> identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
>
> 11) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands
> in front of you and yell STOP! Or STAY BACK! Most of the
> rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman
> alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid
> to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
>
> 12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge
> advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes),
> yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a
> deterrent.
>
> 13) If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with
> strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are
> grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker
> either under the Arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in
> the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a
> class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch
> on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset
> she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the
> guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places
> as hard as you can stand it - it hurts.
>
> 14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I
> know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you
> slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might
> think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to
> hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
> instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a
> lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of
> there.
>
> 15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first
> two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as
> much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The
> instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I
> ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
>
> 16) Of course the things we always hear still
> apply. Always be aware of your surroundings,take someone
> with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior,
> don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!
>
> You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel
> much worse if the guy really was trouble.
>
> 1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest
> point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
>
> 2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans
> : If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT
> HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.....chances are that
> he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you,
> and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE
> OTHER DIRECTION!
>
> 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out
> the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and
> start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but
> everybody else will. This has saved lives.
>
> 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after
> shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their
> checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO
> THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the
> perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,
> put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON
> AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
>
> a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT
> DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine
> and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag
> will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will
> get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out
> and run. It is better than having them find your body in a
> remote location.
>
> 5 A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot
> or parking garage:
>
> A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the
> passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
>
> B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car
> from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their
> victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are
> attempting to get into their cars.
>
> C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your
> vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone
> in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into
> the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you
> back out.
>
> IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better
> paranoid than dead.)
>
> 6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.
> (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect
> crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
>
> 7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his
> control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a
> running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most
> likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a
> zigzag pattern!
>
> 8. As women, we are always trying to be
> sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted
> Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated
> man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting
> women.. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked
> 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
> which is when he abducted his next victim.
>
> 9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her
> friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before
> last, and she called the police because it was late and she
> thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you
> do, DO NOT open the door.'
>
> The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had
> crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would
> crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said,
> 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO
> NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a
> serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to
> coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped
> off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have
> had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's
> cries outside their doors when they're home alone at
> night.