Women's Survival
This course is designed to teach girls and women how to protect themselves in a variety of all too real situations women face today: sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence. You will be taught by way of techniques and lectures that will make female students “hard targets.” One of the most important aspects of this course is teaching women how to prepare for real conflict, emotionally and physically. From developing assertiveness skills to learning how to be more "situationally aware" to learning what to do if someone is following you on foot or in your car .
This course includes:
- Definition of a Soft Target vs. a Hard Target
- Situational Awareness
- Vehicle appearance, vehicle security (parked and driving), what to do if you are being followed
- Workplace security
- Stalking detection, evasion or confrontation
- Sexual harassment response (at the workplace or school)
- Assertiveness
- Assault and sexual assault response
- Home security
- Dealing with injuries
- Identification and preservation of evidence
- Reporting the crime by phone
- Police contact
- Courtroom testimony
- Post traumatic stress syndrome
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Where Safety Is Concerned – Be Smart And Be Aware (Safety Tips)
It goes without saying, that safety has become an ever-increasing concern for people nowadays. Although cellular phone companies try to help by making their phones pre-equipped with emergency number dialling shortcuts and free access to emergency services worldwide, modern technology can only take us so far. And, while you don’t want to be scared every time you walk out the door, there are a few common sense rules that you and your family should use each and every day.
Remember, that often, the best defense is a good offense.
Safety In Your Car
- Before getting into your car, you should always look throughout the interior of your car – particularly in the backseat and floorboard. Then, look underneath your vehicle, as well.
- Always keep a good flashlight handy, and keep an extra set of batteries on hand, as well.
- If your car is being taken from you by a carjacker – cooperate. Don’t be a hero. As you go about unbuckling your seatbelt, or getting your child from your car, move quickly and make sure that you explain every move that you are making to your attacker.
· Keep an emergency tool kit in your trunk. Your kit should include flares, and a “HELP – CALL POLICE” sign. You should also keep a blanket in your trunk, as well.
· Keep extra water and small amount of non-perishable food in your trunk, should you break down in a desolate area. Other safety items include a can of “Fix-A-Flat”, a special emergency fuel that you can use to get you to the nearest service station, and a good spare tire.
· If possible, keep a well-charged cellular phone on hand for emergencies. If you don’t have a cell phone, make sure to keep spare change in your car to be used for a telephone in an emergency.
· If your car becomes disabled, raise the hood and place the “HELP – CALL POLICE” sign in your rear window. Get inside the car; keep the doors locked and your windows up. If someone stops to help you, crack your window, and ask him or her to call the police, or a nearby service station for assistance.
· Keep all of your valuables out of sight, and locked in your trunk.
· When dropping someone off at their destination at night, make sure that you have a pre-arranged signal – other than the customary wave - for them to let you know that they are safe. If they signal you that they are in danger, you can go to the nearest phone and call for help.
· Always carry your keys in your hands. Fumbling for your keys while you’re walking to your car can make you an easy target.
· Carry yourself in a confident, secure manner. Always give the impression that you can defend yourself if called upon to do so.
· If someone signals to you from another car that there is something wrong with your car, drive to the nearest service station or at least to a well-populated, well-lit area before you pull over. Then, wait for the other car to drive by before you get out to investigate.
· If you feel that you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station, or the nearest well-lit service station, and honk your horn repeatedly until you attract attention. Whatever you do, don’t go home. Make sure your pursuers are gone, before you drive home.
· To keep yourself from being too predictable to a potential stalker, vary your schedule, and change the way you take to get home often.
· Keep your car parked in a well-lit area close to your destination.
· Always lock your car when you park, even if it’s for a short time. It’s also a good idea to lock your car doors while you’re traveling, as well. Particularly, when traveling in a town or city.
Safety At Home
While it’s nice to feel comfortable and complacent in your own home, you should always be prepared to deal with prowlers and break-ins.
· Always keep your entrances well lit both inside and out. Keep your garage door closed and locked. Oftentimes, the door from your garage to your house can be the weak link in your home security.
· If you don’t expect to be home until after dark, leave lights on in various parts of your home, to give the impression that your house is being occupied. It’s a good idea to invest in timers that will turn lights, radios, and televisions on for you while you are away.
· Keep your curtains closed, and your shades drawn at night.
· Most prowlers are prepared to deal with dogs, so don’t depend on your dog to be more than an alarm if you have a prowler.
· Be sure to keep your personal information, such as your name, address, and phone number out of public view. Be careful not to give away your daily routine to strangers.
· Ask to see the identification of all service people before opening the door; and by all means, if you have not requested service, do not let them in.
· Never let children open the door to strangers.
· If you’re planning to leave on vacation, ask your neighbours or a friend to watch your home while you’re gone. Have them pick up your mail and newspapers. If you plan on being gone for an extended period of time, ask the post office to hold your mail, and stop delivery on your newspapers.
· If you’re expecting a delivery or a visit from someone, and you have to leave your house, don’t leave a note on the door saying that you will be gone until a certain time; that you have left the key under the planter; or come in through the back door, etc. Always consider the circumstances, should a stranger see the note. In a majority of cases, crime is more a product of opportunity than intention.
· Always identify your visitor through a peephole in the door, before you open the door. Don’t trust that a chain will keep an intruder out.
· Many rapists know their victims, so be aware of casual acquaintances stopping by unannounced.
· Whether you live in an apartment, in a neighbourhood, or out in the country, always be on the lookout for strangers lurking about. Be aware of your surroundings, and always have an escape route planned out in advance.
· If a prowler is in your house, and you can’t safely get to your landline, keep a cellular phone handy for emergencies.
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About Violence Against Women
Violence is defined as physical act of aggression of one individual or group against another or others resulting in or likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering. Violence in its different dimensions is also viewed in the context of criminality, which is on the upswing in most societies. At its most basic and obvious level, violence is "an act carried out with the intention or perceived intention of physically hurting another person". Adding the gender dimension to that definition amplifies it to include violent acts perpetrated on women because they are women.
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women. Similar to a hate crime, this type of violence targets a specific group with the victim's gender as a primary motive. The United Nations General Assembly defines "violence against women" as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."
The Following information is posted by METRAC, the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (http://www.metrac.org/programs/info/prevent/stat_sex.htm)
Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act done by one person to another, and statistics show that most abusers are men and most people who experience sexual assault are women. Sexual assault can be anything from unwanted touching of a sexual nature to rape.
Many types of sexual assault are addressed in Canadian criminal law. They deal with different kinds of abuse (e.g. using a weapon, causing bodily harm, and making threats) as well as different types of relationships where sexual contact can be a criminal offence (e.g. where one person is in a position of authority over the other or where there is a relationship of dependency by one person towards the other). Legal penalties for different types of sexual offences vary.
General Sexual Assault Statistics
51% of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence. Close to 60% of these women have survived more than one incident of violence. (Statistics Canada, 1993, "Violence Against Women Survey", The Daily, 18 November, p. 1, 3) 6 out of 10 victims who reported being sexually assaulted were under 17. (Statistics Canada, 2005, "Children and Youth as Victims of Crime", The Daily, 20 April). In 2000, women made up the vast majority of victims of sexual assault (86%) and other types of sexual offences (78%). (Statistics Canada, 2001, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2001) 80% of sexual assaults occur at home; 49% in broad daylight. (Sexual Assault Care Centre, Women's Care Centre, Sunnybrook & Womens, 1999, Myths and Facts About Sexual Assault,
In cases reported to police, 80% of sexual assault survivors knew their abusers. About 10% were assaulted by a friend and 41% were assaulted by an acquaintance. 28% were assaulted by a family member, while the remaining 20% were assaulted by a stranger. (Statistics Canada, 2003, The Daily, 25 July)
Reporting Sexual Assault
Victimization surveys show that less than 10% of women who are sexually assaulted report the assault to the police. (Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, 2002, Assessing Violence Against Women: A Statistical Profile, p.19) It is estimated that over 80% of women who are sexually assaulted do not report due to humiliation or fear of re-victimization in the legal process. For women of colour, that fear is worsened by the experience of racism. (Ontario Women's Directorate, 2002, Sexual Assault: Reporting Issues)
Sexual Assauls: Girls and Young Women
In 2002, children and youth accounted for 61% of sexual assault cases reported to a subset of 94 police departments. Girls represented 79% of those cases. (Statistics Canada, 2004, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, p.1) 54% of girls under the age of 16 have experienced some form of unwanted sexual attention. 24% of these have experienced sexual assault, and 17% have experienced incest. (J. Holmes and E. Silverman, 1992, We're Here, Listen to Us: A Survey of Young Women in Canada)
In a Toronto survey, young women identified that their highest safety concern was about assault. Since women are most vulnerable to sexual assault, harassment, and other forms of gendered abuse, their concern is consistent with their experiences. (City of Toronto, 2002, Speak Up: Toronto Youth Talk about Safety in Their Community, p. 12) In a Canadian study, 25% of all female post-secondary students in 1993 had been physically and/or sexually assaulted by a male date or boyfriend. 1 in 5 male students surveyed said that forced intercourse was all right "if he spends money on her", "if he is stoned or drunk", or "if they had been dating for a long time". (H. Johnson, 1996, Dangerous Domains: Violence Against Women in Canada, p. 115, 120)
Women Living with Disabilties
83% of women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. (L. Stimpson and M. Best, 1991, Courage Above All: Sexual Assault against Women with Disabilities) The rate of sexual abuse of girls with disabilities is four times that of the national average. (S. Razack, 1994, From Consent to Responsibility, from Pity to Respect: Subtexts in Cases of Sexual Violence involving Girls and Women with Developmental Disabilities, Law and Social Inquiry, Vol.19, No. 4, p. 891-922)
First Nations Women
Frontline organizations confirmed that racist and sexist attitudes toward Aboriginal women continue to make them vulnerable to sexual assaults in Canadian cities. (Amnesty International, 2004, Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada) Up to 75% of survivors of sexual assaults in Aboriginal communities are young women under 18 years old. 50% of those are under 14 years old, and almost 25% are younger than 7 years old. (S. D. McIvor and T. Nahanee, 1998, "Aboriginal Women: Invisible Victims of Violence", in K. Bonnycastle and G. S. Rigakos, eds., Unsettling Truths: Battered Women, Policy, Politics and Contemporary Research in Canada, p.65).
Women of Colour
Women of colour may be more vulnerable to sexual assault because of racist sexual stereotypes, and these stereotypes on the part of the police and the courts mean they may have less access to justice. (Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, 2002, Factsheet: Women's Experience of Racism: How Race and Gender Interact)
Sexual assault and abuse are rarely discussed in low-income Toronto communities where women of colour live, and most resources are concentrated on preventing young men from committing crimes. (P. Kholsa, 2003, If Low Income Women of Colour Counted in Toronto, p. 59)
Women Living in Poverty
Combined with stigmatization, stereotyping, state scrutiny, and inadequate social support, poverty and unemployment are significant predictors of being vulnerable to violence. (Y. Jiwani, 2002, Mapping Violence: A Work in Progress) Women with low household incomes, low levels of education and/or who are unemployed are at higher risk of being sexually assaulted than women in general. (H. Johnson, 1996, Dangerous Domains: Violence Against Women in Canada, p.108-109)
Women and War
Women are sexually abused during times of war - they are raped, abducted, humiliated and made to undergo forced pregnancy, sexual abuse, and slavery (Unifem, Facts and Figures: Crimes Against Women in War and Armed Conflict) Sexual violation of women can destroy a community in a way that few weapons can. The damage can be devastating because entire families will take on the violation and pain of sexual assault. (Unicef, 1996, "Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War", Unicef, Marking 50 Years for Children, Launches Anti-War Agenda)
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| The Piston concept |
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| How to do a proper Eye Gouge |
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| Appropriate for all ages and abilities |
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