Sadly, the world is not always a nice place, especially for women. Studies have shown that women are almost twice as likely to be attacked or harassed when walking alone at night than men.
As a women, you might not feel comfortable going out alone at night, and that’s fine. While you can avoid having to go out alone at night as much as possible, there will come a time when you have to choice but to walk to your car or home alone.
Many women feel uncomfortable walking anywhere alone, and with assault statistics on the rise, this isn’t surprising. However, if you end up in a situation where you have to walk alone, it is important that you know how to stay safe.
Here are five ways you can stay safe when walking alone:
- Be aware of your surroundings
Don’t make the mistake of not paying attention to your surroundings. The worst thing you can do is not pay attention to where you are and who is around you. The more attention you pay to what’s going on, the less likely you are to be taken by surprise by an attacker.
Make an effort not to get distracted. If you are walking down a deserted alleyway, don’t start messing around on your phone. Stay alert and know what is going on around you.
- Show people you see them
The best thing you can do to protect yourself from potential attacks is make eye contact with the people you pass. This shows them that you are aware they are there and know what they look like, so could identify them if necessary.
- Let people know you are strong
You might not be feeling strong as you walk through an empty parking lot, but it is crucial that you fake it. Stand tall, put your shoulders back and walk with your head held high. Don’t make yourself look like a victim, make yourself look strong.
Your body language says a lot about you, so use it to your advantage. Show potential attackers that you are strong and will not go down without a fight, by walking with your head up and standing tall.
- Keep items to protect yourself to hand
If you are walking alone and feel nervous, grab your stun gun or pepper spray and hold it in your hand. While it’s all well and good keeping your stun gun in your handbag, if something happens and you need it, you may not be able to get to it in time.
If you don’t have protective equipment with you, hold your car or house key in a closed fist with the end of the key sticking out between your fingers. If the worst should happen, you can use this to jab an attacker and ward them off.
- Know where to aim
If you do end up needing to protect yourself, make sure you know where to aim. You want to aim in the locations that will hurt the most so that you make the biggest impact. The best places to aim for are the crotch, shin, and eyes, as these are the most sensitive areas.
It doesn’t matter how large your attacker is, as long as you hit one of these areas you should make an impact and have time to get to safety.
