In life, some things are worth taking a risk- asking someone out on a date,

trying for that job promotion, or finally getting the courage to go bungee
jumping. However, taking a risk when it comes to walking alone at night is
not one of those things we should be avoiding at all costs. Women who walk
alone — especially at night — are at risk of harassment, or even physical
assault. It is always best to walk with someone or in an area where there
are other people- but even with the best planning there will likely come a
time you will need to walk somewhere alone at night. Whether it’s to your
car after a late night at the office, heading to your car after a late-
night store run, or walking home from the public bus station, you may find
yourself out at night alone. Frequently, these situations arise walking
back to your dorm after a late night college class as well. Make sure you
follow these tips to stay safer:

KEEP YOUR KEYS READY

Keep your keys ready to go, even if you are simply walking from your front
door to your car. Hold on to them inside your pocket. Bring them out when
you are a few steps away from the car door and then unlock the door and get
in. This will eliminate fumbling around for the keys in your purse or
pocket, which is a prime time for someone to jump you as you are
distracted. Once you are in your vehicle, lock the door and start the car,
don’t sit there idle with the door unlocked and the car not running because
someone can still approach you.

WALK WITH CONFIDENCE

If you have to walk at night alone be sure you are walking with an air of
confidence and with purpose. Keep your head up and don’t be afraid to make
eye contact with those you pass. Don’t keep your head down or avoid eye
contact as this could give the impression that you are timid, weak, or
scared. Walk at a steady pace and walk facing traffic to keep yourself
visible. If you end up getting lost don’t wander around, head to the
nearest area that has people and ask someone for directions and head on
your way with purpose once again.

TRUST YOUR GUT

When you have to be out alone at night, your gut instincts are often your
best defense and they are your best friend. If you are worried someone is
following you, turn around and acknowledge they are there. Let the person
know you’re aware of their presence. You do not have to confront them but
let them know that you know they are there. If you feel you are being
followed do not go to your car or to your house. Head to a public area like
a store, restaurant, or police station if one is nearby and find someone to
help you.
CARRY A NOISY “FRIEND”

Women are often targets of violence, abuse, and abduction because they are
seen as easy targets that will not put up a fight and will not arouse
anyone to what is going on. The best way to fight this is to always have
something on you that can be used to draw attention to yourself. Keep some
kind of noisemaker on your keychain so you can get to it easily if someone
approaches you and you need help. A personal alarm or whistle can be used
to let those around you know something is wrong and can scare off an
attacker in many cases.

KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO

A woman’s best defense against an attack is mindfulness and action. If you

find yourself in a dangerous situation or a situation that makes you feel
unformattable or at risk and you can escape, do so immediately. If you need
to fight back, you need to be prepared to do so and know what you will do
to defend yourself. Only you can determine what you can or will do when
faced with an attacker. Many women take self-defense classes to help
prepare them for these cases so they know what to do when the adrenaline is
flowing and they need to act.

AVOID STRUGGLING WITH LOTS OF BAGS

Struggling with five different bags at night while walking to your care or
to your front door is a common occurrence for many women, but you should
avoid it whenever possible. Multiple bags handing on your arms and
shoulders make it where you cannot use your hands freely and can prevent
your ability to react quickly is a situation were to suddenly turn
dangerous. Use a shopping cart to carry bags from the store to your car and
make multiple trips to the car if you need to bring a lot of bags into the
house.

NOTIFY SOMEONE OF YOUR PLANS

If you have to walk alone at night, give someone a call or text to let them
know where you are and what you will be doing. Make sure to tell them your
plans, travel routes, and expected arrival time. You want to make sure if
something happens someone knows where to start looking for you or when they
should be worried that you are not home or haven’t checked in yet. There
are several apps you can download on your mobile phone to track your
location and send notices to family of when you should arrive home. These
can be valuable for women who live alone and end up walking alone often.
 STAY ALERT AND AVOID DISTRACTIONS.

The final thing you can do to keep yourself safe if you have to walk alone
at night is to make sure you are alert and are not letting yourself get
distracted. You need to always be aware of where you are what is going on
around you. Do not wear headphones or listen to music while you are walking
alone. Don’t text or use your phone to browse the internet while you are
walking. If you need to call someone do so and talk to them while you are
walking and don’t let yourself lose track of what’s happening around you as
you walk. Being alert is the best way to avoid dangerous situations.

GETTING HOME SAFELY : 12 TIPS FOR GIRLS WALKING ALONE

Some of us live in what is considered a safe area, where crime rates are
relatively low and a trip to the shops or to and from school isn’t given
much thought while some of us live in “high risk” areas where walking
anywhere can be dangerous but unfortunately necessary.
This article aims to make you more street smart and help you decrease your
chances of becoming a target and increase your knowledge of how to decrease
your chances of being attacked, robbed or abducted while walking alone
whether during the day or night.

Always walk in groups when possible and avoid going out at night alone but
if you must walk somewhere on your own use these powerful tips to protect
yourself and please share them with your family and friends!

Remember that our best assets are knowledge, instinct and common sense!

1. DON'T ACCEPT LIFTS FROM ANYONE

Don’t get into anyone’s vehicle even if they seem harmless or you have seen
them before. Many girls have been abducted while walking home by people
they knew from their communities such as teachers, shop owners, family
friends and acquaintances, do not take a lift from anyone! If you feel
embarrassed to refuse (which is the main reasons why most girls don’t),
give them a short reason why you can’t accept, things such as that you
spoke to a friend that is meeting you somewhere along your route and they’d
be upset if you missed them or that you’re going to a friend’s house just
around the corner to drop off a borrowed book. Whatever you choose to say
make sure that you recite this many times so that if the need arises its
right there in the back of your head waiting to be used.

Do not approach a car to give directions, give them from a distance or

avoid this completely and just walk on – rather offend a person that will
surely get over it than risk your own life in the name of not offending
someone.

2. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

Wherever you may be walking, be aware of what is going on around you, do
not start daydreaming. Constantly scan your surroundings and look for “ways
 out” should something happen. Be aware of anyone walking in your vicinity
and pay special attention to individuals who change their behavior upon
spotting you. For example, if someone ahead of you decreases their walking
pace and keeps glancing back or if someone behind you has increased their
pace or changed their course to intentionally merge with yours.

3. USE BUSY, WELL LIT AREAS

You should choose to walk in the most populated areas as it’s much safer
than secluded areas because people are less likely to do you harm with many
people around that could jump in to help you or be unwanted witnesses. Use
the more populated streets and areas, even if this means you have to walk
for longer periods of time without using shortcuts. Walking in secluded
areas increases your chances of being attacked because it reduces the
chance that your attackers will be seen or heard. Stay where there are
other people and traffic whenever possible. Although you must avoid walking
around at night if this is necessary always choose well-lit up routes.

4. AVOID AREAS WITH DENSE BUSH, TREES OR LONG GRASS

Dense bushes, trees and long grass can not only give attackers a good place
to hide and ambush you but should you be attacked the chances of someone
seeing you are diminished. Walk around the field of long grass rather than
through it unless there are at least 2 people close by (that don’t appear
to know one another).

5. CONCEAL VALUABLES
This may seem the most obvious of them all but don’t wear or show any
valuables, things such as earrings, necklaces, watches, cell phones, mp3
players etc. Also if you have money on you always conceal it, do not walk
with it in your hand. Having a watch visible may give someone a reason to
approach you to ask for the time, rather don’t wear a watch and make sure
your wrists are visible to deter people from engaging you for this reason.

6. DON'T KILL YOUR BEST ALERT SYSTEM

Do not under any circumstances wear headphones and listen to music while
you walking, not only is this a display of your valuables dangerous but it
completely removes one of your most valuable senses – hearing. Not only do
you remove you ability to hear someone walking or driving up behind you but
you increase your chances of being hit by a car or attacked by surprise.
Music will distract you and you need to be aware and plugged in at all
times.

Avoid answering or talking on your cell phone while walking, you are both
displaying your valuables and being distracted. That being said I must tell
you that I sometime wear headphones while walking (not plugged into
anything) as a tactic to deter people from trying to call out to me or
strike up unwanted conversations. Only use this if you are walking in a
populated area where the biggest threat is unwanted advances.
7. CHANGE YOUR ROUTE AND TIME
Do not walk the same route everyday at the same time as this makes you a
very easy target. People may begin to notice your routine and plan an
attack. Change your route and vary the times at which you walk even if only
by 20 or 30 minutes sooner or later than the norm.

8. LOOK CONFIDENT
Many people greatly underestimate the power of looking confident. While
walking alone you should keep a strong posture and avoid looking at the
ground. Don’t look like an easy target by seeming distracted, afraid and
unsure because this is the first thing a potential attacker will see and
use to decide if they should attack you.

9. BE COMFORTABLE AND UNRESTRICTED

If possible don’t carry things that are awkward and difficult to hold, like
plastic grocery bags, shoulder bags, books or sacks. Carry everything in a
backpack, not only can you walk faster but if you need to run or defend
yourself, you can do so unrestricted. You may be thinking that if you need
to run you’ll just drop everything but you’ll be surprised that most people
don’t drop their belongings in this situation until they are being pursued
aggressively.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. I always suggest takkies (sneakers) as

sandals, slippers and other “open” shoes can not only make walking harder
but it can make running very difficult and cause you slip or trip. If you
live in a place where wearing pants is permissible it’s the best option too
as long dresses and skirts can be very restricting.

10. AVOID PARKED CARS AND SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE

If possible keep your distance from any person/people who you feel may be
dangerous. A parked car in a field or corner should be avoided. Rather than
walking directly past a group of men loitering on a corner, spot them early
and change your route to avoid them – trust your gut instincts. If you have
no choice but to pass in front of them be confident and don’t stop.

11. DON'T DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF

Don’t wear clothing that is overly revealing or attracts negative
attention. You don’t have to look like a nun but wearing modest clothing
will not only deter unwanted attention from predators but it will show
people that you respect yourself. Plain jeans, long pants, modest shirts
that are elbow or mid-upper arm in length with modest necklines or collar
shirts are good choices. This is quite a controversial tip as people will
argue that you should be able to dress as you want and not be attacked,
which is true but the world can be a cruel place and safety comes first.
Again people, we are talking about “high risk” areas. I personally also
avoid wearing overly bright colours like red, pink, yellow, orange and lime
during the day. Instead I opt for black, grey, brown, dark blue and green.
A lot of joggers in my area wear safety vests so that they can be seen
 clearly by motorists (which is a must) but I think it depends on your
situation, area and whether its day or night.

Also if you have long hair - tie it up, this can not only increase you
peripheral line of sight but long hair can get in your face while you’re
running away.

12. GET YOUR KEYS OUT EARLY

When nearing your home have your keys ready in your hand so that you can
enter as quickly as possible. Do not stop walking to take your keys out,
rather have a specific compartment where you keep them and practice taking
them out without stopping or looking for them. You must learn to do this
quickly and swiftly while on the move. Furthermore your keys can be used as
a weapon during an attack; stabbing and hitting the face (especially
eyes)of an attacker can give you a chance to escape.

13. READ THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

Your local newspaper will report on the most recent types of crimes and the
tactics being used to perform them. Some may even have a sketch of a known
criminal that is at large in the area or a description of a vehicle known
to be lurking about harassing and stalking girls. Criminals change their
tactics and the areas they target often to avoid being caught by local
authorities so you must stay updated on where and what these are so you can
keep an eye out and spot the danger very quickly. Warn your family and
friends of these dangers too.

14. CARRY A SELF-DEFENSE WEAPON (CAUTION!!!)

This is a very difficult topic as carrying a self defense tactic can
sometimes do more harm than good. So I will make suggestions and let you
decide for yourself.

Firstly make sure that it is legal for you to carry the self defense weapon
on you (check with your local authorities) and make sure that you know
exactly how to use it, most sales clerks will be happy to give you a
tutorial and also read the manual or check online for tips on proper usage.

If you have the weapon with you make sure that its available and ready if
need be, use a jacket pocket or even slide it up a loose-fitting long-
sleeve shirt. Attacks happen so quickly you’ll never have the opportunity
to search for it in your bag, don’t make this mistake. Practice removing
and using the weapon several times and never allow the weapon to be visible
or “obvious”.

Now for the most CRITICAL point, a self defense weapon is most successfully
used on only one or two attackers, and usually simply producing the weapon
and issuing a warning will make an attacker back off but if not then taser
or pepper (mace) spray them and run away while shouting “help me” or any
phrase or term to signal alarm.
That being said, in many cases using the weapon on a large group will lead
to them becoming more aggressive and possibly turning it on you. So use
common sense and instinct to guide you, producing a taser to a group of six
armed men will get you hurt.

This post was written by our SFG Virtual Volunteer Alexandra from South
Africa. We appreciate her for the contribution in creating more content
girls can use to be safer.

To be a virtual volunteer, contact us: safetyfirstforgirls@aol.com