Sexual Assault Awareness

Rape is about power, control and anger. Don't mistake the facts about rape with myths and stereotypes.
 

The Facts About Rape

Rape is an act of violence. It is an attempt to control and degrade using sex as a weapon. Rape can happen to anyone--children, students, wives, mothers, working women, grandmothers, the rich and poor, boys and men.

Rapists can be anyone -- classmates, co-workers, a neighbor or delivery person, ugly or attractive, outgoing or shy, often a friend or family member.

Rapists commit their crime again and again, until they are caught.
 

Rape Awareness

The following copyrighted information was developed from Bruce K. Siddle and PPCT Management System, Inc. SHARP: Sexual Harassment, Assault and Rape Prevention Instructors Manual 2nd Edition, April 1999. Used with Permission of the author who can be contacted at 618- 476-3535, 500 South Illinois Suite # 3 Millstadt, IL 62260.

No part of the following information can be used without permission from PPCT.

Here are some tips that will provide you with some insight on how a woman can be targeted or "profiled" for a criminal sexual assault. Also, explore the probable hunting grounds of an assailant, and how you can profile a potential assailant who might be following you.

If you are alert to your surroundings, you can often identify and profile a potential assailant by simply paying attention to the men in your immediate surroundings. You can profile a potential assailant by looking for some obvious signs:

·        He will establish ideal hunting grounds and find a casual looking surveillance point: If the assailant is in the shopping mall, for instance, he may sit close to a store that caters exclusively to women. He may sit or stand near an exit that is rarely used except by store employees. Other locations would include a parking garage or a grocery store. All places are ideal to find a potential victim and follow her home.

·        The assailant will follow from a public environment: To ascertain whether you would be an easy target, he will begin profiling you the moment he first observes you. He will probably make an immediate assessment of your vulnerability and then begin to follow you to determine if his first assessment was correct.

·        If you suspect you are being followed: Go into another store or public business as fast as you can. Once inside, find a location where you can observe the man and see if he is loitering outside, waiting for you to come out. If he is, immediately call the police and request assistance from occupants inside the store. If you cannot see him, wait for several minutes and then exit. Once outside the doors, stop and look for the suspect. If you see him, make eye contact, look defiant and let him know that you are aware of his presence. Then attempt to get a detailed description for the police.
 

If you find yourself in an environment where you can't retreat for safety, then you must be more observant and aware of your immediate surroundings. Scan the area for a suspicious individual before you get to a point where you cannot retreat to safety. If you are already in an unsafe environment and are alerted to someone following you, keep the following in mind:

·        To determine if you are being followed: If you are walking and suspect you are being followed, immediately increase your speed.  If the suspect matches your speed, you could be the next victim.

·        Do not enter unsafe areas: Learn to trust your instincts. Most sexual assault criminals are repeaters of the same type of crime until they are caught. As with any criminal, the first priority is to avoid punishment for their crime. Because of this, most criminals will be very selective of their targets and the area they have planned their attack. Even though they spend a great deal of time in preparation, they will be paranoid about a witness who could later identify them.

·        He will look for a point to ambush you with low visibility: Once you believe that you are being followed, look at what is ahead of you that he would find as a welcome ambush sight and avoid it. Locations like a dark alley, between two vans in a parking lot or behind a stationary object are low visible areas.

·        Immediately before the attack, he will quickly enter your personal safe zone: The personal safe zone is an area that is approximately six feet in diameter around your body. This zone is the respectable distance in which most people practice as the “polite distance” in which to engage a respectful conversation. The average American will subconsciously adhere to this zone and maintain this distance during conversations. This is especially true when we meet individuals for the first time. However, if a suspect begins to move into this area of space, then you should be prepared to respond immediately with a verbal or physical challenge.

Keep in mind that common sense does save lives and can prevent an assailant from gaining the advantage over you. Hopefully, these tips will help expand your knowledge on the methodology of a sexual assailant and will help you profile the perpetrator before you allow yourself to be a victim.