I recently had a chance to interview Tracy & Charley Vega, the nation’s leading personal safety experts and founders of the award winning company Simple Self Defense for Women. They had some great tips to share.
The
most commonly asked question is what do you do if you are approached in
a parking lot by a stranger? No one likes to be rude but bad guys can
take advantage of your good nature. So what do you do if you’re
approached?
The
best self defense is to not allow yourself to be put in a vulnerable
situation in the first place. The best way to do this is to keep your
distance from this person. Everyone has their own personal space and if
you allow that stranger to come too close to you then you may not have
enough time to react.
The
best way to keep your distance from a potential attacker is to extend
your hand up in front of you at eye level and ask that person what they
want. It is important you have it at the eye level of that person which
is more intimidating. You can say whatever you feel comfortable saying
to that person but do it with purpose. Say it with an authoritative
voice! Excuse me can I help you? Please keep your distance, what do you
want? etc. This act alone can improve your odds of survival. The person
approaching you now knows that you are well aware of him; bad guys want
the element of surprise and easy targets. With your hand up as it is,
anyone in the parking lot looking in your direction can see that this
could be a bad situation. You don’t even have to say anything; your hand
up says it all! This action is a universal language that you do not
want that person any closer. Most people have cell phones and can call
911 to report that something is going on in the parking lot that does
not look right. Please send an officer right away!
Keep
in mind if that person is a good guy he will apologize and walk in a
different direction, if not NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE SAYING you MUST KEEP
YOUR DISTANCE because you may be in serious personal danger. Please
keep in mind this technique is a preventative measure to avoid an attack
and it will improve your odds of survival but it is also a test! This
will tell you right away if you’re in immediate danger and if you may
need to use one of the escape techniques of the Simple Self Defense for
Women® program. 2
What if someone does find himself or herself in the middle of an attempted abduction - what are some things that can be done?
We
highly recommend to women they carry pepper spray and be ready to use
it. This is one of the best ways to prevent most attacks. If you prefer
not to purchase pepper spray the Simple Self Defense for Women® program
provides a detailed step by step instruction on how to prevent an
abduction and if you are grabbed what you can do to escape! We suggest
taking our Simple Self Defense for Women® workshop or watching the DVD.
The steps we teach are simple and could potentially save your life.
Particularly
for women - what can they do if they are approached by a stranger, or
on a date when things start to get too aggressive?
I
will refer to question one above on what to do when approached by a
stranger. If someone gets too aggressive on a date, we recommend you
take the following actions.
1)
For any woman dating they should always let someone know where they are
going, who they are with and what time they expect to return. This way
if a situation comes up someone will know where to begin looking.
2) Verbally let this person know you do not appreciate what they are doing and ask them to immediately stop!
3)
Don’t be afraid to be rude. Keep your distance and do not let this
person invade your personal space. Stay or walk quickly to a crowed
area.
4) Once you are in a crowded area end the date.
5)
Ask a security guard or police officer to walk you to your car. Don’t
be afraid to call 911. They are there to protect you! Avoid public
transportation if possible. Be absolutely sure this person has left
before you leave with your escort.
Why does self-defense education need to include information about bullies and cyberbullies?
Bullying
has been around as long as there have been children. Everyone has
experienced it at least once in some fashion in their lifetime.
Cyber-bullying is very new but its affects can be far worse. When
someone is the victim of cyber-bullying hundred, thousands and
potentially millions of people can be involved. These rules apply to
everything you put on social media. “Never say anything on social media
that wouldn’t say to a complete stranger”.
Would
you walk up and start picking on a complete stranger on the street? I
hope not! But for some reason when there is a keyboard separating
complete strangers they feel compelled to say most anything and
sometimes very hurtful, and life changing words. The person being
bullied can end up feeling like there is no escape. They will feel like
the world is against them. This is why parents and kids need to be
especially careful about posting pictures of minors on line. You should
always ask people permission before you make them a public figure. Many
don’t want the attention and in the case of kid’s maybe they were
hanging out with a different crowd and now everyone knows. 3
Can you give a few critical tips for how to handle these situations?
E.T.A.
EDUCATION, TRAINING and AWARENESS! Talk to your children at home.
Remind them what it feels like when a sibling or cousin picks on them.
That’s how someone who is being bullied feels. Minors should not get
involved. It’s always better to report situations to an adult who can
assist. Be cautious of these types of problems, many times people who
have been bullied often, become outcast and will come back for
retaliation.
For more information about Simple Self Defense for Women® and their workshops, key note speaking and DVD’s. Please visit www.simpleselfdefenseforwomen.com
Remember, Safety Can Be Simple!
Tracy Vega, Co-Founder- Simple Self Defense for Women®
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