20 tips to prevent rape

Rape is on the rise. Maybe the following could help:

Make your room a safer place. What do you do if you wake up in the middle of the night with someone on top of you? How do you save yourself? Do you have an exit plan in case you run to your bathroom? Can the room door withstand force or beating long enough till you escape or scream for help?

The best thing is prevention.

1. Take basic lessons in self-defense. Know where to hit.

2. When coming home at night and entering the gate, be aware of people passing by, driving by.

3. When getting off and on your car, again, be completely aware of your surroundings. Do not use your cellphone.

4. When alone in the house, make sure the doors and windows are locked.

5. If you’re in the bathroom, do not listen to loud music. You must be able to hear what’s going on outside.

6. When you come home especially at night, do not go straight to your room, switch on the lights, just pan the open areas. If you have an eerie feeling that someone has broken in and is lurking in the dark, get out of the house fast.

7. Unplug the radio, tv, stereo when you’ re not using them especially before going to bed. Criminals use this appliances to cover screams or noises.

8. Condo living is not 100% safe. Notice the long hallways with doors of other unit residents. A door could open and pull you in.

9. Being alone in an empty elevator in the middle of the night is also a risk.

10. Avoid walking in dimly lit areas.

11. If you are driving, parking garages are high risks. Park near the building entrance. Always be aware of your surroundings when going/ leaving.

12. If you are a commuter, wear shorts underneath your skirt or pants. Bring a small pointed object like big needle, scissor, nipper or tweezor. Place in your pocket. If you feel a hand going under your skirt, be ready. But be alert, look around you, kailangan, scream, stab the hand and sabay takbo to a safer place.

13. When walking with an umbrella, crossing the street, waiting at a bus stop, or anywhere you are, do not be complacent. Look at the people around you. Always be alert.

14. Make sure all your clothes have pockets so you can put a whistle, a nipper or anything you could use to defend yourself in an instant.

15. If you are in a public place and you noticed someone’s following you. Do not go to your car. Stay inside a store or office, where there are people, and approach someone to help you call the security guard.

16. If you’re walking in a mall, park, and you suspected someone behind is following you, stop walking, turn around and look at the person. Kunwari you’re memorizing his face. Do not look scared. Ikunot mo ang noo mo. Yung mukhang matapang. If there are other people also walking, shout “Robert, bilisan nyo ang lakad, nagmamadali tayo!” Para kunwari you have companions.

17. When at home, make sure you know where to get things you can use as weapon in case you are attacked. How quick, how fast, how accessible. You need seconds. Identify ordinary decors, house appliances that you can easily grab to protect you. Hide a sharp object under your pillow or somewhere within your hand’s reach .
Men are stronger, that’s why we need tools and objects to help us.

18. The noise from breaking ceramics, falling glasses, could also catch attention, hoping someone would come to help you. Know how far you are from the window so you could grab a heavy object and slam it against the window. Let’s hope someone from the outside would notice and call help.

19. Young girls cannot defend themselves so parents must teach them how to resist. Tell them not to allow anyone to touch them in their private parts and kiss them on the lips. Even their male teachers. Tell them not to get scared if anyone did that to them. Tell them to tell you right away.

20. Do not leave them under the care of a driver, employee, gardener, guard, etc. Even if you have a yaya, once you’re not around, they sleep and neglect your child. Always tell your yaya not to go out, not to let any man carry, touch your child, etc. I know that’s paranoia. It’s better to be paranoid than sorry.

Nung araw, laging sinasabi buhay ba or puri. The reality is, most rape victims were killed, before, during or after the rape. Defending yourself from rape is a life and death situation.

#preventrape #defendyourself #lifeanddeath