Part 3 - Strategies
Keep a barrier between you and attacker
Anything that will slow an attacker down will be valuable to you. Keep
any door between you and him locked and put objects in his way if
possible. The more time it takes for him to get to you, the greater his
chances of being discovered.
Draw other people’s attention and evoke his fear by making noise
In one study of cases where assaults had been prevented, 60% of women
used a loud, sharp yell as part of their response. This not only enables
other people to become aware of your situation – and so come to your aid
– but it also scares the attacker into thinking that he might be
discovered. When an assailant says, “Don’t scream or I’ll kill you!” he
is telling you exactly what he fears most – being discovered. Shouting,
screaming and making as much noise as possible will ruin his plans.
Create a disturbance, throw things, yell, shout, scream, blow the horn.
Shouting is probably a better response than screaming because it
confirms your strength and sends a strong message to the attacker.
Typical things to shout are:
- “Go away!”
- “Leave me alone!”
- “I’m warning you!”
- “Get away from me!”
- “Call the police!”
- Fire! Help! Fire!” (this response is surprisingly effective in
getting other people’s attention)
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to guarantee that people
will come to your aid but you can make the attacker fear that he might
be caught.
Threatening him may be a deterrent. It may be effective to sharply and
loudly tell him that he will be caught, or that he will get hurt, or
that he will regret it.
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