Women may agonize over what they would do in an assault situation. Often there are stories in the newspapers about how women have killed their husbands after they’ve been assaulted one too many times, only to receive a life sentence in prison. How can you protect yourself against an attacker if you can’t use force?
To some extent, this isn’t true. You can still use personal defense in college, on the street, or at home. These are instances that arise that may come your way in which you have a reasonable belief that the threat you face can lead to serious harm, permanent disfigurement, or the potential for bringing about death.
Personal defense is just that, you’re personally defending yourself against an attacker. When you’re defending yourself, the goal is to:
1. Get away from the attacker.
2. Raise the alarm so a passer-by calls for security/police.
3. Incapacitate the attacker, so you can run away.
4. Get the attacker to drop a weapon.
5. Scare the attacker so they run away.
Using excessive force to attack a person, whether man or woman, beyond these reasons and escalating the violence beyond self-defense, is considered criminal intent. It’s up to the courts, and not you, to determine punishment if you over do it. So take heed and use caution since you are at their mercy should you go to far and do great bodily harm or cause something worse to happen. This means that if the attacker has let go of you, or is down on the ground in pain, it’s not within the law for you to continue beating them unconscious or worse. If you can subdue them while calling the authorities, that is fine.
Using excessive force to attack a person, whether man or woman, beyond these reasons and escalating the violence beyond self-defense, is considered criminal intent. It’s up to the courts, and not you, to determine punishment if you over do it. So take heed and use caution since you are at their mercy should you go to far and do great bodily harm or cause something worse to happen. This means that if the attacker has let go of you, or is down on the ground in pain, it’s not within the law for you to continue beating them unconscious or worse. If you can subdue them while calling the authorities, that is fine.
These are good reasons to use your personal defense training while you’re being physically attacked, but when can you use force in other situations?
One of the issues you may face is that a man is waiting for a physical attack from a woman in order to punch her back hard. This is why it is never a good idea to hit a man who has been verbally threatening or harassing you. In these instances, it’s best to record it on your smart-phone and take it to campus security. You can also use your own verbal cunning to attempt to diffuse the situation. Many verbal attackers will stop when you tell them that what they are saying is inappropriate, offensive, etc.
It can also be tricky to figure out what to do if you’ve been pinched or patted. If you know who did it, record the details and report. If they’ve slipped into the crowd, there’s not much you can do. Always be aware of the people surrounding you, and step away if people get too close.
It can also be tricky to figure out what to do if you’ve been pinched or patted. If you know who did it, record the details and report. If they’ve slipped into the crowd, there’s not much you can do. Always be aware of the people surrounding you, and step away if people get too close.
If someone does physically hit or punch you, you can take a step back and get away from them. If they go after you, then you are within your rights to hit or kick back. But remember to stop as soon as they are down, and call for security.
You can also carry the DRINKGUARD kit with you to parties where personal safety may be an issue. This kit will test for date rape drugs in your drink and is also a form of personal defense.
The more you can prepare yourself for personal defense, the better you’ll be able to use it to your advantage, but still stay within your legal rights as a person.
No comments:
Post a Comment