Sexual attacks such as rape are not only physically traumatic, but they leave emotional and psychological scars that take a long time to heal. These are some of the worst types of crimes because they take away so much from the victim. People who commit such crimes are a special breed of criminal.
While most criminals want money or your belongings, rapists want control over you. They get a sick pleasure from it. During times of crisis, when law enforcement is busy, these predators get bolder. There have been many cases of women raped in parking lots.
Some rapists have even broken into apartments and homes and raped women there. There is always the possibility that the rape may even turn into murder if the culprit doesn’t want to get caught.
Generally, criminals want to get what they want quickly and get away quickly. If they want to rob you, toss your handbag on the ground and run off. Now is not the time to fight.
However, with the more sinister kind of criminals who wish to rape or hurt you, things WILL get ugly. There’s no avoiding this fact. Pleading and begging and trying to talk them out of it will just portray you as a victim. With these animals, you must show no mercy because they’ll show you none.
If the attacker places his palm on your mouth to gag you, bite his fingers as hard as you can. Do not let your fear overcome you. Every second counts. Gouge his eyes. Bite his neck. Do whatever it takes and always look for a way to inflict maximum damage on him
Make your blows count. Many women struggle and use up all their energy on ineffective moves till they just give up. Preserve your strength and use it when it matters. Do it right and you’ll inflict so much pain that your attacker will be incapacitated temporarily, and it’ll give you time to get away.
Hesitation to act can kill you. Ideally, you must be situationally aware and ready to act. If you’re a woman, carrying a stun gun or pepper spray in your jacket pocket will give you an edge. The key is to be fast and use the element of surprise. Do not brandish the stun gun and threaten your attacker.
They’ll just knock it out of your hand and overpower you. Stun guns, knives and pepper sprays just don’t have the fear factor that guns command. So, you must use them sneakily when your attacker least expects it.
You should note that sexual attacks can happen in a few ways. One method is where the criminal approaches you and displays a weapon to threaten you and get you to go with him to an isolated location. If you comply without resisting, they’ll grab your arm and lead you away so you can’t escape.
NEVER EVER let them scare you into going with them to a secondary location. The reason they want you to go with them is so they can be more hidden from passers-by who might come to your aid. You are safest where you are. Do not follow them because you fear getting hurt by the weapon. You’re safer putting up a fight where you are and screaming for attention.
Another tactic they use is to either pounce on you from behind and put your head or neck in a lock and drag you away. Or they may grab your hair from behind and try dragging you off. In some cases, they pin you to the ground and use a throat grab to intimidate you so that you follow them.
With all these different tactics, the rules mentioned earlier still apply. You scream to draw attention. That’s your first line of defense. Scream “Fire! Fire!” and this will get more attention than “Help!” which is often ignored.
If the attack persists, and they still keep dragging you, instead of struggling, reach into your pocket for your stun gun or pepper spray. If you have a stun gun, use it on them and don’t worry about getting an electric shock even if they’re holding you. Their body will absorb the full charge and incapacitate them. You’ll not be affected.
With a pepper spray, you’ll need to wait for and opportune time to spray it on their face. Wait for it and strike without warning.
If you don’t have these weapons, it’ll be tough. Nevertheless, use what you can. Have a pen? Jab it in their neck. If all you have are car keys, jab it in their eye.
The goal is to strike fast, strike hard and do it when they’re not expecting it. If you stop struggling, they’ll let their guard down and believe that you’re scared. That’s when you grab your opportunity. Even a tiger crouches before it leaps.
Last but not least, fight with all you’ve got but fight smart. Do not use up all your energy all at once. Being calm is the most important thing. In any attack or rape, there is almost always a window of opportunity that will give you an advantage. Find it, exploit it and absolutely show zero mercy.
Violent encounters can escalate really fast. So, it’s imperative you bring you attacker down by whatever means possible and escape as fast as you can. Be an opponent, not a victim.