Women's self-defense against rape: Certain Actions Can Decrease Risk

[uhnope]

For the long term, we have to keep exposing and fighting rape culture everywhere it exists.
In the short term, women must empower themselves to kick ass.

I remember a pacifist friend who said her rape defense would be to "go limp." WRONG!

http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/rape-sexual-violence/campus/Pages/decrease-risk.aspx

The researchers found that potential rape victims who resisted their attackers physically and verbally significantly reduced the probability that a rape would be completed and did not significantly increase the risk of serious injury.

Most self-protective actions significantly reduce the risk that a rape will be completed. In particular, certain actions reduce the risk of rape more than 80 percent compared to nonresistance. The most effective actions, according to victims, are attacking or struggling against their attacker, running away, and verbally warning the attacker.

In assaults against women, most self-protective tactics reduced the risk of injury compared to nonresistance. According to the researchers, the only self-protective tactics that appear to increase the risk of injury significantly were those that are ambiguous and not forceful. These included stalling, cooperating and screaming from pain or fear.

[uppityperson]

1. Running, getting help, struggling are effective ways of avoiding rape?

The most effective methods of SP include “run/hide,” “get help,” “struggling,” and “attacking without weapon.”
” These SP actions appear to decrease the risk of rape more than 80 percent compared to nonresistance. Only the ambiguous category of “screaming from pain or fear” is associated with a significantly higher risk of rape completion than nonresistance - it was associated with a risk of rape completion more than four times as high as that of nonresistance.

[pnwmom]

2. There is no way to "rape proof" anyone. And the idea that there is

too easily leads to victim blaming, which I know you didn't intend to do.

There might be some things SOME girls and women could do that could REDUCE the odds of being raped, but no person can be rape-proofed.

[uhnope]

4. thank you, you're right. I'm changing that

[pnwmom]

5. Good change. Those are good things to know.

Also, that it mentions that screaming only increases the odds of being raped. That isn't obvious.

[uhnope]

6. depends. Getting attention helps a lot

If a scream can be heard by a neighbor or down the street, then it can help.
The voice is a effective weapon.
But you're right, just screaming doesn't help.

[NightWatcher]

3. Why not instead teach our sons to NOT BE RAPISTS?

Just a thought.

[appalachiablue]

11. Is teaching sons not to rape even thought or taught? Or it's all up to women?

[Man from Pickens]

7. The most effective action

pull out your gun and shoot the bastard

[uhnope]

8. no. a gun is more likely to shoot you or a loved one than an attacker

just the facts on that

[seabeyond]

10. Rapists are not just the monster behind the bush. We cannot be heard even when raped.

We are blamed for the rape. Now you suggest the girl being raped in the frat houses across the nation shoot the rapusts. Then explaining why the killed that college boy. And you think that will be a defense for any girl?

Piss poor resolution.

[yardwork]

9. You left off this important paragraph from the page:

Law enforcement officials, however, counsel caution against automatically using violence or other forms of resistance. People who are assaulted are advised to assess the situation and trust their own judgment about the best way to respond.