A sad truth about today's reality is that when a country's economy plummets, its crime rate goes up. At least that's my reasoning for why there seems to be rising incidents of sidewalk muggings in my neighbourhood. With an admirable nod to the 'Take Back the Night' Movement: https://takebackthenight.org/, here is my list of strategies that I use to be prepared should I ever need to defend myself.
Be aware and research beforehand.
Pay attention to your location and any other people physically around you.
When I walk alone at night, I will deliberately cross the street to the opposite sidewalk to avoid having to walk near or past anyone. When I park my car in the dark, I try to find the closest spot to a streetlight. They say that an attacker is less likely to choose a victim who has seen their face. Therefore, if I'm walking alone in the woods, I will be extra friendly and ensure I look everyone I meet directly in the eye and say hello.
Know where you are going and the risks involved. Don't make yourself a target for being mugged by having valuables easily accessible. If you carry a purse, make sure it is closed when you don't need anything from it, and walk with your hand over it. If you are going somewhere alone, be sure to leave a note or tell someone where you are going and your anticipated schedule. Ensure to always keep your car locked, and do a circle check around it before getting in. Don't be an attacker's first choice of a victim.
So what do you do if you are attacked?
Most people who get mugged are attacked from behind. If the person grabs your cellphone out of your hands, tries to get your wallet from your pocket or tries to take your purse - let them. Try to get a good look at their face, what they're wearing, their height, etc. so that you can give a good description to the police. Pay attention to which direction the perpetrator goes if he runs away.
If you need to defend yourself, act as quickly as possible with your chosen defence.
Scream.
Do not be polite. The second you are touched by someone without your permission, scream immediately. This will bring attention to you and hopefully scare your attacker away. If your screaming was unnecessary due to a misunderstanding, etc., no harm done.
Grab and twist.
I have a fond yet perhaps slightly disturbing memory of being 7 years old and talking to my elderly Granny in her living room. The church had held a special 'Self Defence For Women' class, and she was excited to teach me what she had learned.
She demonstrated the 'grab & twist' technique as three easy steps:
a) Put your hand out straight ahead of you like you are catching a baseball
b) Tighten your fingers as hard as you can into a fist
c) Twist your wrist sharply like you are opening a doorknob
The next day I showed this new move to my school friends, and I believe we may have turned it into a song and dance.
Was this too graphic a technique to teach a young girl? Thank goodness it was the 1990s in Ontario, when the social idea of politeness overriding personal safety was starting to catch on.
Although our new 'grab & twist' song may have been considered off-taste or a little shocking to a group of Second Graders, at least it was memorable. By repeating this technique, it strengthened my reflexes, so that I should ever find myself being attacked, I can trust that my automatic pilot will react. The faster you make your reactive move, the less your attacker will expect you to.
If the person attacks you from behind, don't be apprehensive about reaching back and doing this action as aggressively as possible.
Although this technique does assume the person attacking is a penis-owner, this technique can still be performed on anyone, as it would still place that person in an uncomfortable position and give you a window of time to escape.
Go for the eyes.
Take two fingers and jab them directly into your attacker's eyes. Yes, this is gross and could cause a serious injury. But a natural reaction to being poked in the eye is to cower back and cover your eyes with your hands. Therefore, giving you time to get away.
Kick.
Use your feet to kick the person as hard as you can in the shin. Knee them in the groin. Stomp on their foot. Or use your foot to try to trip the person and make them fall. Using your lower extremities may come as a surprise to the perpetrator.
Pull their hair.
Again, when someone is hurt, their natural reaction is to cower back and cover the area that is in pain. The second that their hands release you to reach for their head, run away as fast as possible, screaming as loudly as you can.
Use whatever tools or resources may be available.
If the person is wearing baggy pants, pull them down. If they are wearing a hoodie sweatshirt, pull their hood up over their head and face. If you are carrying keys, smash them against the person's face.
Do not choose an identified weapon.
If someone breaks into your house and you shoot them with a gun, killing them in self-defence, you could still be charged with murder. This is because the level of force used is seen as being legally unreasonable. If there is an identified weapon available to use, the situation could also be interpreted as premeditated. Therefore, if someone does break into your house, if you have a choice, do not select an actual weapon, such as a gun, knife, baseball bat or hammer to defend yourself.
If you fight back by hitting the intruder with a lamp, a sculpture, a bookend, etc., then you will have a better argument to confirm you acted in self-defence.
Practice your reflexes.
Listen to the Girl Guides. Be Prepared. Mentally plan how you would physically react if someone were to grab you from behind. Ask another person to act out a mugging scenario with you. Practice screaming immediately when you are touched and decide which action you are going to take to get away from this person.
If you mentally decide and practice a plan, then this will be stored in your subconscious so that your automatic pilot will be initiated should you ever find yourself in a precarious position to need it.
Be a Good Samaritan
If you see someone else getting mugged, attacked, etc., immediately take out your phone and video the action, while concurrently also screaming and yelling as loud as you can. The attacker will most likely get scared off by your witnessing the incident, and your video can provide the police with physical evidence. If there are other people in the area, encourage them to also video and scream. By shrugging and choosing not to get involved, this places you in the default position of abetting the attacker. It is your moral and civic duty to assist a potential victim.
Take Back the Night
One of my favourite hobbies is going for a walk in the evening after dark. Yes, I know I am placing myself at risk for being attacked, but I am not allowing this risk to override the peace and enjoyment I feel from this activity. We should not be apprehensive about doing things we want to because society has made us fearful of what could happen.
Being 100% female owned, Agent K Private Investigations Inc. is a strong supporter of the "Take Back the Night" movement. www.agentkpi.ca
