Ways to Help Prevent Harassment, Assault, and Stalking

Sexual harassment, assaults, and stalking are serious issues in our society, especially for women. Sadly, women are victims of these horrible acts everywhere. These tips can help you be more aware of a dangerous situation, what to do as a response to a bad situation, and how you can help prevent these horrible acts.

1. Carry a defensive weapon. I carry pepper spray on my key chain. When I'm walking around campus by myself at night, I make sure I am holding my keys so I can easily grab my spray. Also, you can stick a key between your fingers and use it to punch. Tasers can also be small and compact that you can carry around. I feel so much safer knowing that I can defend myself. 

2. When I walk to class, I am always listening to a podcast. I try to keep one earbud out so I am able to hear if someone approaches me from behind. If you have both earbuds in, it can be easy for someone to sneak up behind you. 

3. If you are nervous to walk somewhere, ask someone you trust to walk with you. Walk with a buddy, a guy friend, etc. If you are nervous about carrying your groceries to your car, ask an employee to help you, 99% of the time they will be happy to help.

4. If you notice anything suspicious, tell someone. Tell your parents, University Police, principal, etc. If you hear your friends talking about sexually assaulting someone, tell them to knock it off and report it if it's true. 

5. If you are a victim of an assault, TELL SOMEONE. Whatever happened to you, it wasn't your fault. Many victims feel ashamed about themselves or they are afraid that their parents will be angry at them. Victims feel like their parents will blame them for what happened, know that this is most likely not true and there are resources to help you. Never blame your clothes, looks, skills, etc on why you were assaulted. It's common in our society to blame what the victim wore as the reason why they were assaulted. This is NOT true. My college recently presented a collage of clothing pieces that victims were wearing when they were assaulted. The clothes were not flashy or revealing, there were sweaters, jeans, sweatpants, etc. Clothing has nothing to do with the assault. 

6. If you are in an uncomfortable situation, tell the person that you are uncomfortable. I recently was approached by a professor who was trying to ask me to go get coffee, lunch, play tennis, do projects with him, etc. He was a lot older than I was and I had never met him. I was nervous to tell him to leave me alone. After the incident, I called the University Police since I was so shaken and uncomfortable. The cop listened to my story and told me to never be afraid to be rude if I feel uncomfortable around someone. Tell whoever it is that you are not comfortable with the situation and that you would appreciate it if they would leave. If they do not leave, call police, parents, or trusted an adult.

I am not saying that these tips will prevent sexual assault; however, these tips may HELP prevent assaults and make you more present and aware of possible dangerous situations. If you have any tips to help defend yourself or resources, comment below!

Love,

Gabby