Concordia Criminal Justice Institute

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PERSONAL AWARENESS ANDEMPOWERMENT FOR WOMEN
PROFESSOR LISA J. DAVIS
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AWARENESS

• 1 IN 4 women will be sexually abused before they
  turn 18 years old.
• 1 IN 3 women will be sexually assaulted some time
  in their life.
• FBI reports 85 of assaults are planned out.

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AWARENESS

• In 1996 48 women were raped every hour.
• TODAY 75 women are raped every hour.
• On the average, the assailant will attack 7
  different victims before being caught.
• The average prison sentence for a rapist is 3
  years.

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AWARENESS

• Homicide is the leading cause of death for women
  in the workplace.
• 20 of homicides are committed by strangers.
• By this time tomorrow, 400 Americans will suffer
  a shooting injury. 1,100 will face a criminal
  with a gun.
• In the past 2 years, more Americans died from
  gunshot wounds than were killed in the entire
  Vietnam War.

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YOUR BEST TWO WEAPONS

• Your MIND
• INTELLECT
• Your BODY
• SKILLS

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FOUR ELEMENTS OF AN ASSAULT

• The Attacker
• The Victim
• The Opportunity
• Eliminate this if possible
• The Place
• Pick a SAFE place
• IF YOU ELIMINATE JUST ONE OF THESE ELEMENTS, THE
  ASSAULT WILL NOT HAPPEN.

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SAFE PLACES

• When driving, know your route.
• When driving, keep your doors locked.
• Know where your vehicle is parked so you can go
  directly to it.
• Get a car starter with an alarm. Start your
  vehicle as you are walking to it and if someone
  is following you, sound the alarm.

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SAFE PLACES

• Walk in well-lit areas.
• Walk with another person or in a group. There is
  safety in numbers.
• Keep your doors locked while in your home.
• Keep your purse and other valuables locked in a
  desk or secured area at work.

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VICTIM PREVENTION

• Attitude
• Have the I will survive attitude.
• Walk with confidence.
• Dont act like a victim.
• Look confident in your appearance.

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VICTIM PREVENTION

• Situational Awareness
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Dont be oblivious to what is going on around
  you.
• Start noticing different vehicles or people that
  dont belong in your neighborhood.
• Start recognizing things that are different from
  the usual or normal.

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VICTIM PREVENTION

• Be Alert
• Unfortunately in todays society, violence has
  increased dramatically. So we are forced to be
  alert in our homes, work, vehicles, and social
  events, where normally we might have felt safe.

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VICTIM PREVENTION

• Have a Plan
• Have a contingency plan if something goes wrong.
• Try to always have an out.
• Do different what-if scenarios in your head.

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EMPOWERMENT

• Listen and go with your instincts or intuition.
• Example Before the Tsunami hit Southeast Asia,
  the animals ran for safety, because they didnt
  question their instincts. The animals knew or
  felt something was wrong and they headed for the
  high ground. We need to react the same way, when
  we sense something is wrong, we should follow our
  gut instincts and dont question ourselves. Its
  not foolish, its survival.

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LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL, TAKE YOUR SAFETY
SERIOUSLY.