GUELPH INTERACTION CONFERENCE 1993-1997

SESSION LEADER: Kim Taylor MSc Guelph

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Began as student at UG in 1975. Developed UG women's self defence course "Gryphon Claws" in late 1980s and began training instructors who now teach the course. Martial arts training includes 8 years of Tae Kwon Do, 13 years of Aikido (1st degree black belt) and Iaido (Japanese sword, 5th degree black belt and member of Canadian Kendo Federation grading committee). Has written 5 manuals on Iaido, 2 on self defence and 1 on Aikido.

SESSION TITLE: Hands Off!: A hands on talk about self defence.

SESSION DESCRIPTION: Recent studies on assault and violence have revealed that victims are far from helpless. Resistance to attack does not increase the likelihood of further injury while increasing the likelihood of stopping the attack and escape. Even unskilled resistance works to prevent abuse of all kinds. A short question and answer period will be followed by a hands-on training session in escaping from grabs and holds.

HANDS OFF! COMMON SENSE SELF DEFENCE

From Gryphon Claws; the women's self defence program at the University of Guelph.

Much of what's written here will seem obvious, it's common sense after all. Unfortunately, we don't always use common sense or see the obvious. "Common sense" can differ for country or region, for men or women, and for cultures or societies. With this in mind, you must decide what, in the following will be useful or practical to you.

Self protection is a personal matter, an extra bit of worry that you add to an already full life. It may seem to be more bother than it is worth. We hope to make you see that it's worth it.

WHAT IS SELF DEFENCE

Self defence is just a way of looking at the world around you with healthy respect. Looking both ways before crossing the street is a healthy habit and a natural self defence. Self defence is an attitude which will prevent the need to resort to "fighting techniques". Self defence should create the type of self-interest and self-worth which will prevent most physical attacks including mate beating, sexual assault, mugging and bar fights. Self defence is about "options". There you have it. You must "pay attention" in order to see and create "options".

WHAT IS NEEDED FOR SELF DEFENCE

1. You first need the desire to protect yourself and, more importantly, to know you're worth protecting.

2. You need to assume responsibility for your own life. You may soon be leaving home for the first time, if you aren't gone already. Even if you are at home, you're too old now to rely on anyone else to take care of you.

3. Finally, you need the ability to see the world as it is, not as it should be. You probably know already that poorly lit streets or shortcuts through wooded areas late at night are not always safe. Don't assume the police, your friends, your parents or anyone else will look out for you. Even if you think they should.

IF YOU'RE COMING TO GUELPH

The City of Guelph is a pretty safe place, and the campus is even safer. As a result people around here can do some very stupid things and get away with it. That's good from an overall point of view, and excellent for those of us who practice self-protection. The basis of self defence is deflection. Make it harder for someone to steal your money and they'll go rob someone else. There's always someone willing to leave a wallet unattended, and then complain about how people are jerks when it gets stolen.

The Guelph police are good at questioning people who wander around late at night, especially if they are in parking lots or similar areas. They are also willing to protect your life by insisting that you ride with bicycle lights and to protect your property by providing bicycle licences.

The Campus is private property, with a police agency of its own, who are duly sworn officers that work closely with the municipal police. They are not rent-a-cops. The area is kept reasonably secure from off-campus problems. Strange men who bother coeds are quickly singled out and escorted off the property. This does not of course prevent strange men from being on campus occasionally, nor does it prevent members of the University population from being strange. Still, the grounds are as safe as is possible.

The residences are all restricted access buildings unless someone leaves a door open. The various research and classroom buildings should be locked up in the evening except when doors are propped open by students. The locks and porters all contribute to a safer working and living environment.

The point is, in the city of Guelph and on the U. of G. Campus especially, it almost takes more work to be unsafe than it does to be safe. But some forms of aggression are present and bad habits or thoughtless acts can increase the risk of other problems.

Here are some figures for crime in Canada from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics as cited in the October 1990 issue of Canadian Living Magazine.
1988 1989
Homicides

(Murder, manslaughter, infanticide)

 571 649
Robbery 24,249 25,722
Assault 163,913 175,005
Sexual Assault 23,249 25,631
Aggravated Sexual Assault 370 402
Sexual Assault with a weapon 967 867
Break and Enter 359,247 349,955
















Taking the 1989 population of Canada to be 26,000,000 and using the 1989 figures we get values of: 0.0025% for murder (1 out of 40,000), 0.676% for assault (1 out of 148), 0.099% for sexual assault (1 out of 1010), 0.0015% for aggravated (physical violence) sexual assault (1 out of 66,666), and 0.0033% for sexual assault with a weapon (1 out of 30,303). Someone will of course point out that these are "reported" crimes only. You can make anything you want out of the "unreported" figures.

From the Globe and Mail of March 9, 1992 we get a report from 23 division, Etobicoke police. In 1990 there were: 48,614 calls, 131 sexual assaults, 3,773 other assaults, 1,212 B&E, 685 motor vehicle thefts, and 217 robberies. It's worth noting that in almost every set of stats you look at, robbery and sexual assault are nearly identical, in numbers, victims and attackers.

We'll come back to these figures but let's define the problem first.

AGGRESSION

Self Defence is a response to aggression and aggression is encountered in a wide range of forms. Here is a list of situations:

Think about all of these situations and decide which include direct aggression and which, potential. Is there a difference?

Aggression can be:-

1. Self-directed; biting fingernails, overeating, drinking alone, picking up strangers in the bar, taking "recreational" drugs, pounding walls or thinking about suicide.

2. Individual; Aggression may occur during arguments with a teacher, fights with a lover, pushing matches with someone on the soccer pitch or spontaneous attacks by a stranger. Individual aggression also occurs when someone lifts your favourite jacket or your bicycle.

3. Group Aggression; may occur when several people come out of a pub and throw a rock through a window, or decide to trash some bicycles to impress each other. "Fight me, fight my gang" syndrome is quite common, an argument with one person being met with a counterattack by the entire group. Pressure on individuals to join or conform to "groups" (no clear cut charismatic leader) or "cults" (a group organized around a leader) is common especially for those who don't have much self esteem and need the gang support.

4. Mob Aggression; develops when a crowd is centred on one agitative occurrence. Football matches, Hockey games and concerts are examples. Individuals quickly become depersonalized and can participate in violent acts they would never consider as separate entities.

OPTIONS:

1. Ignore it-- Some aggression is best dealt with by turning your back on the problem. If you are a non-smoker and the bozo next to you lights up a cigarette, get up and take a walk in the fresh air. You don't need another coffee anyway. When someone calls you an ass, or cuts you off on the road, just let it slide. These are everyday annoying hassles, you can allow them to affect you and collect an ulcer or you can ignore them. Your choice.

2. Complain about it-- Why not? A good healthy bitch session is excellent therapy, but hold it down to one bitch per hassle or your friends will quickly decide that you are a hassle. Chronic complaining is not a release of tension, it's a personality defect. Make your griping amusing - exaggerate the problem beyond all belief and laugh at yourself along with everyone else.

3. Dealing with it directly-- You have a legal right to self defence. This means that you can defend yourself with reasonable force until the attack is stopped. Each and every case must be considered in court according to what actually went on, so the there is no fixed formula we can give you, but remember the principle.

4. Self abuse-- BUT, instead of damaging your health, improve it by taking advantage of the gym. Have a good workout instead of pounding walls. Develop the habit of using everything selfishly, even being attacked.

5. Identify yourself-- In an aggressive mob situation, never forget who you are or what your basic beliefs are.

More direct methods of dealing with aggression are required as the type of aggression becomes more serious. The key is "avoid", "deflect", "confront". The basis is to "pay attention" and the method is to increase "options"

AVOIDANCE

Here is where you drop all ideas of how the world "should be" and also all self-image based on your ego. This is a continuing process for those of us who can't see the world without illusion. Look at the world and yourself honestly.

Start by "paying attention". Look at whatever you are doing at the moment, how are you sitting, where are you, what's going on around you. Are you safe? This means, do you have a good posture or are you damaging your back. Is your chair about to tip over or collapse because it is up on two legs? Could you jump out of the way if someone knocked your coffee onto your lap? Are you trapped if someone sits beside you and decides to grab you? Is that fool who's not looking about to kick your knapsack across the room? Why is your knapsack on the floor?

What's about to go on? Did you finish the readings for class? Do you remember when the next midterm is? How far away is that? Are you going to the bar tonight? Do you have a way home? Is your bicycle under a light because it will be dark when you leave the bar? Have you remembered to to pick up your prescription? Some condoms? Don't give us that old "just happened" bit, even if you were drunk.

Paying attention stretches from what you've done previously, through what is going on now, to what you anticipate will happen. What did your ex-lover say in that last phone call? Is that her over there? Yes-she has a cup of coffee in her hand and she sees me and she looks a little wild in the eyes. Are you still slouched in the corner with no way to jump?

Using avoidance, you may pretend you didn't see her coming and slip out the side door. Options include escape routes as well as escape methods. Options increase with more distance and more time. Always try to use delaying tactics to allow the climate to change. Don't move to a private area when aggression is present, where hot words can change to angry deeds. Sun Tzu noted in The Art of War; "Never leave an enemy's options limited to fight or die" When he/she is standing at your table with a coffee in one hand, shaking with anger, is it wise to tell her/him you have thrown his/her clothes out into the hall? Was it wise to do it?

Remember that everyone has an ego and that all egos are not the same. Someone attacking you verbally may suddenly switch to physical means, if you attack a weakness in their self-image. On the other hand, your own ego should not be allowed to rule your actions. A person with a solid self-image can not be goaded into aggression by insults. "Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me" unless I let them!

A dishonest ego can make you to stand up to an obnoxious drunk or lead you into unsafe shortcuts, telling you that you can handle anyone and their brother. An honest, strong ego, will let you to placate a drunk, even apologize for something you didn't do. It will turn you away from deserted parking lots.

Pay attention, keep your options open and stay away from potential trouble.

DEFLECTION

Let's assume you couldn't avoid the confrontation. No one can avoid all problems in life and it wouldn't be good for you if you could. What's needed next is deflection.

Deflection means lateral thinking and lateral action. If your teacher starts yelling at you in front of the class and calls you an idiot, don't deny it and yell back, instead think what would happen if you asked in a quiet and reasonable tone just what the specific problem was and please point out how to avoid the same mistake in the future. Instead of your being singled out as a simpleton, you have gently pointed out that you are an adult, you expect to be treated as one and would like to talk to a professional in a professional way about a specific problem. The situation was not taken into an escalating shouting match, but was defused by shifting it sideways to a professional consultation.

The drunk next to you just decided you don't look right and you're asking for a good beating. Maybe you should agree with him but tell him you don't need it as much as the Yankees do today, and what about those Jays anyway and what are you drinking, the next round is on me.

The drunk happens to be a Yankees fan and takes a swing at you. Deflect it and then him by pushing him off of his chair. Were you "paying attention" and did you "avoid" the punch using lateral action in one of the directions open to you which you noticed when you checked out your "options"?

CONFRONTATION

Physical action brings us to the last third of the response scale, confrontation. Let's say you've gone up to his place to see his photographs after meeting him earlier at the bar (you just fell off of the turnip truck, OK?). You didn't "avoid" the situation by not going. You can't "deflect" him by changing the topic, telling him about your boyfriend, telling him about your girlfriend or telling him about your 8:00 AM class tomorrow.

You have to confront the aggression by telling him "no". When was the last time you said flat out no to someone. We're not trained to assert ourselves and say no without an apology or explanation. Learn how to do it now.

If you are at his place, it means you intend to sleep with him. If you don't, then the word no must be firm. No smiles, apologies, or explanations. Don't be harsh or nasty, just be definite and look him in the eye as you say it. Remember how your parents said no when it meant no. There must be no chance that this could be mistaken for no-means-yes.

Once you say it, leave. If you stay, then no-means-yes. You can always call later if you wish to continue the relationship. A word of advice though, make it a day or two later, not the same night.

Confrontation is just that. It is force meets force and rather than wait until the equality shifts out of your favour, immediately vacate the area. Stop the attack and get out. Emphasis on get out.

In all cases of direct confrontation, the possibility of physical conflict is present. This is because direct opposition is sometimes seen by the attacker as an insult to the ego. Have no illusions concerning the strength of your assailant. At the moment you have the advantage, remove yourself from the arena.

SPECIFICS

At this point, most self defence books give a huge list of Dos and Don'ts followed by a set of specific techniques to be used in specific situations. If only the world were so simple. The only reliable method of self defence is to use the brain you were born with. Some things may help, such as remembering to Pay Attention and seek more Options. Think about what aggression is, where it is found and how to deal with it so that you aren't surprised when you encounter it.

What follows of course is a huge list of Dos and Don'ts. The list is collected from several places and is given to stimulate thought, not to provide a set of rules to live by.



DO IT WITH COMPANY

There is safety in numbers. If you have to walk around at night, try to do it with a friend or where there are other people. Muggers and rapists don't want witnesses. Some people these days tell men to cross the street so that women walking alone won't feel afraid of them. Great advice if you are a rapist and you want these women alone and out of everyone's sight.

HOME

Residence dorms

Lock the doors and consider window locks if the windows are accessible. Balcony doors can be lifted off the latches, or a coathanger used to slip the catch. A piece of wood in the track will jam the door closed.

Door locks often have a screw-in cylinder which can be "gold keyed", set up to be unscrewed. Check your door and get it fixed. Your key probably says "do not copy". This doesn't mean it hasn't been. If in doubt, get your lock changed. If you find outside doors propped open, close them. Don't leave your room open while you go down the hall to take a shower - put your keys on a chain and carry them with you. All this isn't to prevent getting raped and murdered so much as to prevent getting your room trashed by your friends.

Apartments

Check out the security arrangements before you move in. If there is an intercom door lock, make sure that you or any guest of yours never open the door without finding out who it is.

Get the door locks changed or add another deadbolt. Spring latch locks are not as good. Keep the door locked even when you're there. Do NOT give a key to anyone else, unless it's a trusted friend in case you lose your own set. If you lose your set get the locks re-keyed or replaced. If your building supervisor insists on having a key, give him a fake, or one to the old lock only and add a new lock. There is no reason for the supervisor to have access to your apartment without prior notice to yourself. The possibility of a broken water pipe is poor reason to allow anyone access to your possessions or yourself. If your windows are open at night, make sure they are not open enough to allow anyone to enter. A nail in the frame will do it.

Get to know your neighbours so that you and they will recognize strangers. Company means help.

Install a peephole and always use it. Failing that, get a good STRONG chain latch. Never let delivery people, sales people or servicemen into your apartment until you check their I.D. and call their office to confirm their visit. Deliveries can be dropped outside the door. If you are alone and have to open the door, yell back into the apartment "I'll get the door Fred!" Leave a light on when you go out and a radio playing.

Don't volunteer information on the mailbox, initials are enough for the first name - men or women. It does no good if Tom Smith is listed next to M. Jones, gee what sex is M. Jones?

Do not enter the laundry room, basement, sauna etc. by yourself. Go with a neighbour. Drive around the parking garage or lot first to check out the area. If someone is there, get an escort into the building.

House Rentals

Again, change the locks and check the windows. The way to deter a burglar is with LIGHT AND NOISE. Make him break a window or a door to get in and make him do it in the light. Keep the porch light on. Say hello to the neighbours.

A house has more possibilities for entry and there is more chance that you will be caught there alone, so don't forget where the telephone is and don't be afraid to get attention from the neighbourhood by, maybe, putting a chair through the front window and screaming if you have to.

Rooming

When renting a room in a basement, try to find one with a separate entrance, and make sure your door has a lock for which only you have the keys. Request that you have a dead bolt or heavy chain on the inside. Check the basement windows for secure locks and to make sure you could escape through them in case of fire or a break in. Do you have a smoke alarm? Do you have a fire extinguisher? By the way, the place for a fire extinguisher is on the way out of the building. Once there you can decide whether to go back in.

You might consider a personal noise maker in the form of a portable air horn. These will actually damage hearing when used in an enclosed space and the surprise could give you the necessary time to escape.

Renter's insurance is reasonably cheap. It covers contents in the home, plus such items as your camera and your bicycle when away from home.

Telephone

Hang up on obscene calls. Do not give out information, don't repeat your number to a wrong number caller, don't tell a caller your name, and yes, you are single and no, your roommate is not here right now. Instead, ask who's calling, what they want, what number were they calling, your roommate is busy now, could you take a message. "Turn off the burner Fred!" Good old, always there, non-existent Fred. The less information you give a strange caller, and the more you get from him, the greater the options.

Cars

DON'T HITCHIKE

With your own car, look in the back seat before you get in. Keep the car in good repair. Be cautious about help if you break down. On a busy highway, raise your hood, get back into your car with the doors locked. The Police check for such cars. Keep your car locked. Park in well lit, populated areas. When you drive home at night, check outside before you leave the car to unlock your door.

When you are driving, drive defensively and assume no one else knows the rules of the road, otherwise, you may not react fast enough. Being in the right does not guarantee accident free driving. Be alert for doors opening from parked cars. Watch 3 to 4 cars ahead and behind.

Remember that road injuries are a lot more likely than injuries from an assault.

Bicycles

Cars are bigger than you and drivers are often bicycle blind. Wear something visible at night and get some good lights. U-bolt locks are good, but make sure both wheels are locked as well as the frame.

Don't rely completely on the lock. Park your bike in a well lit, well traveled area. It will be less likely to be trashed or stolen than if it is around back in the bushes.

Personal Items

Don't tempt the weak minded. Keep valuables out of public sight and in your own.

Elevators

Popular place to be trapped in. Use well traveled well lit stairways instead. The walk will do you good.

Bars

Don't get so drunk you wind up somewhere you don't want to be. Don't volunteer information. If you see someone you like, ask for a telephone number and arrange a public date. Do not go to his place or take him to yours until you know each other much better. Never drink your cab fare. Keep the bartender in sight (so that she can keep you in sight). If you are the reason someone is thrown out of the bar, don't leave alone, you may meet the "throwee" outside. If you are alone, stand at the bar and get to know the barkeep. You've just taken out insurance.

Parties

Have a way home, other than stumbling around alone, drunk, through empty parking lots. Watch your drink, unless you don't mind surprises. If you're a lone woman at the party, talk to lots of men in different groups....they will all keep an eye on each other for you. Be careful about rides home, make sure you're not the last one dropped off. If you know the driver, ask them to wait in the car until you are safely inside.

Walking

Face traffic as you walk, it's harder to be followed. Stay toward the curb, away from doorways and alleyways, but shift over, out of range of occupied parked cars. Keep an eye and ear out for fellow walkers. Keep space around yourself and don't hesitate to run down the middle of the road if necessary. This attracts attention. Walk with a friend.

On the Bus

Nasty little gangs of obnoxious teenagers sit in the backs of buses. (That's where we used to sit, remember?) Sit on the outside of the seat so you aren't trapped by the window.

If someone grabs your rear end while you're standing, check who it is and then ask loudly that he or she stop doing that precise thing. Canadians embarrass easily, don't forget.

Wait at well lit bus stops.

Other Situations

You probably get the idea of how to make a list of Dos and Don'ts now, so make your own lists for hotel rooms, traveling, banks, money machines and restaurants.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Gentlemen, please stay and read this section. It is of interest to you. In one study of males aged 19 to 24, 30% reported that they were victims of forced or attempted sodomy while on campus.

Ladies, in the same study, 50% of the women reported an attempted or completed rape.

These are pretty shocking statistics and certainly get the attention. They have little to do with Canadian Universities and they are misleading. For instance the male study was based on 20 subjects. Hardly a good sample. The female study was based on 30 subjects, and both were conducted at a college in the USA. There are no statistics for the University of Guelph since there are not enough reports of sexual assault to the police, medical services, or counseling services to create statistics. If you want to know the actual numbers of assaults that have occurred over the last few years, check with the police department. They publish the numbers in one of the campus net-newsgroups.

We have already given the statistics for reported assaults in Canada for 1988 and 1989. These are several orders of magnitude lower than those in the study quoted above.

The Globe and Mail (March 24, 1992) provided some data from Statscan. These were uniform crime reports from 13 police departments from 1988 to 1991, all in areas of 1 million or less. The reports represent 43,000 crimes, and 10% or 4,650 of these were sexual assaults.

1. Age 11 or less

In these areas, 40% (1,881) of all reported sexual assaults were are on kids 11 years old or less. The attacker was a stranger in 8% of the cases, a family member in 48%, and a casual acquaintance in 37%. 60% of all types of assault in this age group are sexual offences.

56% of the victims were girls, and 44% were boys which would seem to indicate that the problem is not one of gender but one of not being able to prevent it. The murder rate for this age group is 1/3 that for older teens or adults. 80% of kids that are killed are murdered by adults.

2. Age 12 to 19

Another 40% of the sexual assaults occur in this age bracket. At this age you are at twice the risk of violent crime, especially sexual assault, as the rest of the population. This group represents 23% of violent crime victims but only 11% of the population. These violent crimes do not usually end in murder with only 9% of 1990 murder victims being in their teens.

3. Older than 19

Only 20% of reported sexual assaults are on people 20 years of age or older. In these adults, less than 10% of all assaults involve sex and the assault rates are about equal for men and women.

For women of university age, especially the first two years or so, here is the bottom line. At no age in your life are you more likely to be raped. Sexual assault is probably the single most likely form of physical aggression you will have to deal with. This assault is less likely to be a gang rape than it was while you were in High School, but it is highly likely that it will be someone you have recently met and that it will occur in your own living area. The possibility of a "blitz" rape by a stranger is also quite high. (A blitz is a sudden violent assault by a stranger.)

A word about the word rape. It brings to mind all sorts of problems with the judicial process which television has happily informed us about over the years. Canada has recently changed the laws to deal with sexual assault rather than rape. The penalties are just as severe but the emphasis is on the assault rather than the sexual aspects which have caused such heartache in the past. A victim of an assault by a stranger will likely not have to go through the process of proving penetration, good moral character or any other such things. An attack by a stranger is pretty clear proof of aggression. Unfortunately "date rape" will remain a problem.

Although the word rape is too emotionally charged for rational or legal use, we use it here anyway since most people know what it means, while sexual assault is still confusing.

Date Rape

We're sure you have all heard about date rape many times before. Here is some data from a college in the United States collected by Dr. Charlene L. Muelenhard of the University of Kansas. She asked 1000 students if they had ever had sexual intercourse against their will, a pretty standard (and relatively strict) definition of date rape. The women in the study fell directly into the pattern which has been recorded since the 1940s, 46.3% said they had participated in unwanted sexual encounters.

A rather unique aspect of this study is that Dr. Muelenhard also asked men the same question. 62.7% of them said yes to the exact same question. Does this mean that more men are date raped than women? The biggest reason both sexes gave for having sex when they didn't want to was enticement. Someone started to undress someone. Fear of seeming to be a "wimp" and peer pressure was slightly more common for men than women, and physical force of any kind was used in very few cases.

There was little difference of any kind between the two sexes except for what the victims thought of the incident afterward. Men's feelings ranged from "felt good/very good about it" to "felt bad/very bad" with most feeling neutral. Only 22% said they had long term effects from the incident. Women on the other hand reported they "felt bad/very bad" in 88% of the cases and neutral in 22% of cases. 78% of women also reported long term effects. Either men are mentally tougher and/or they don't believe they were "date raped", or women have been taught to feel worse about date rape. Remember that very few of these cases involved any physical force, even as mild as grabbing someone's arm. Dr. Muelenhard has pointed out that the men could have escaped "if they had really wanted to", and this kind of attitude may have an effect. Since most people seem to have decided that men can take care of their own problems with date rape, should we perhaps assume the rest of the discussion is aimed mostly at women?

No Means No?

This same researcher also asked women if they had ever said "no" to sex even if they fully intended to sleep with the guy they said it to. About 30% of the women said that they had.

Prevention

The previous discussions on how to avoid and deflect aggression are all useful for avoiding assault with a sexual overtone. A few additional points will suffice.

The atmosphere around a University campus always has been, and always will be highly sexually charged. What else could it be with a group of ten thousand plus healthy, bright, newly independent young people. All of you will have lots in common, and the choice of potential partners will never again be as great. This causes problems.

Many of you aren't sure about your own lives, the emotional roller coaster is a big one and communication with each other is a tricky thing at best. Add a lack of life experience and it is small wonder that you do things you come to regret. The main problem is the communication. Don't play games. Establish early and definitely in a relationship that no means no and yes means yes. Don't encourage games. If someone says no then take it to mean no even if you're sure it means yes. If you're not sure your partner understands you, then speak up, no one is telepathic until at least 10 years of living together. If you're not sure, then ask straight out. The answer will be yes or no, it will not change because you asked. The only place sex ever "just happened" was in fiction.

But what if?

Let's say it's all gone bad and now the physical aggression starts. What do you do? First, do not panic, second, don't be afraid, third, stay calm and think. The vast majority of rape victims are not injured physically, yet it would seem that the vast majority of rapes are accomplished because the victim fears physical injury or death.

If we look again at the figures for sexual assault in 1989 in Canada we see that the number of sexual assaults involving no "physical damage" as compared to aggravated sexual assaults are in a ratio of about 64 to 1. Similarly, the ratio to sexual assaults involving weapons is 30 to 1. For every sexual assault involving a weapon or physical injury, there are 20 which do not. This means that 95% of sexual assaults were accomplished without physical injury or a weapon. This bears thinking about, fear is a very subjective, but seemingly powerful factor in rape.

When you take into account the idea that rape is "vastly underreported" as is often assumed, these ratios would probably be more lopsided than they are. It seems reasonable to assume that anyone who was "physically injured" would be more likely to report the crime than one who was not injured.

Often feelings of shame or guilt are factors in rape, but these are hopefully becoming less important as people begin to understand that rape is unacceptable in a civilized society.

Keep the figures on death and injury in mind to help manage your fear. Keep your mind on escape, do not cry, plead or apologize. There is always a chance you can say no, do it calmly and forcefully and say that you think your attacker is capable of better behaviour. Don't allow him to think of you as an object, an abstract thing. Remember, you probably have little reason to fear injury, and you should have ample proof if your life is in danger.

Each situation is different, your choice of reaction must be made according to the circumstances. Remember to increase the options, play for time and try for distance. If all of this has failed, it is now time to consider using physical resistance. This means that you use your animal side to make a little room and increase your options. We will not "advise" you to fight back but we firmly believe that you should consider all the aspects of the question.

Some of you may be thinking that the data on injuries would be higher if more people resisted, that by non-resistance the victims have escaped injury. This attitude assumes that the rape itself is not a physical injury. Even if there is no physical damage, we have seen above that women are certainly effected mentally on a long term basis. The idea that women should not resist assumes that women are incapable of resisting men physically and this is simply bullshit. In actual fact we have seen no data that would indicate that physical resistance increases the risk of injury, instead the evidence is that physical resistance can reduce the chances of being raped, with or without "injury". Remember, if anything is going to be underreported, it would certainly be attempted rapes that were successfully resisted; "no harm done, forget about it" being the attitude.

Our attitude is thus, women can often fight back and win the fight, they can very much more often fight back and escape from harm. Nobody ever won a fight or escaped from being raped by NOT resisting. We know what we would do, we have considered all the options and have decided. What we have decided is none of your business, just as it is none of ours what you decide. Like everything else written here, the ideas are for you to use or to forget. Consider all sides, and make your decisions now, before you need the answers.

SOME OTHER OPINIONS

"That some men rape provides a sufficient threat to keep all women in a constant state of intimidation" Susan Brownmiller "Against our Will" 1975 Simon and Schuster.

"It is a sin to let anyone harm the vessel which houses your soul -- Buddha.

"... your body is a sacred vessel. You have a duty and an obligation to take care of yourself as well as a legal right; self defence is on the books. So why are women afraid to protect themselves?" -- Sidney Filson "How to protect yourself and survive: from one woman to another" 1979 Franklin Watts NY.

"One of the subtle limitations we face as women is the prejudice that a woman is incapable of effective violence. Both men and women seem to be threatened by the ideal of a woman who can fight, even if she fights a rapist. To men, while it's certainly honourable for a man to be capable of defending a woman's honour, it's threatening for her to be capable of defending it by herself." -- Andrea Medea and Kathleen Thompson "Against Rape" 1974 Farrar, Straus and Giroux, NY.

"To fight is to be unfeminine. It is not seen as good or attractive; it is not rewarded. Praise is lavished on girl children who are agreeable and compliant." -- Diana Warren- Holland et al and Women Against Rape. 1987 Hamlyn Publishing Middlesex England.

"Women are expected to attach themselves to a man for protection, in much the same way that a 'punk' in prison gives his sexual favours to a strong man for protection. In the case of women such a course of action is socially accepted and expected, while it is a sign of total weakness and humiliation for men." -- Wm. Sanders "Rape and Woman's Identity" 1980 Sage Publications London.

Who resists and who doesn't?

Women who are raped usually report that their greatest fear was of being killed; while women who successfully resist report their greatest fears as being raped -- Robbie Burnett et al 1985 Arch. Sexual Behav. 14(2):183-188.

"Attack against the victim appears to provoke victim resistance, rather than the reverse. Only about three percent of rape incidents involve some additional injury that could be described as serious. Thus it is the rape itself that is nearly always the most serious injury the victim suffers. Consequently, refraining from resistance in order to avoid injury in addition to the rape is a questionable tradeoff. -- " Gary Kleck and Susan Sayles 1990 Social Problems 37(2):149-162.

Are women hurt because they resist?

"There is no positive association between victim resistance and the probability of subsequent injury. Previous reports of resistance being related to victim injury may be because victims resist more strongly when they are being injured." Vernon Quinsey and Douglas Upfold 1985 Canad. J. Behav. Sci. 17(1):40-50.

But we're talking about strangers, no woman is going to fight against an attack by a boyfriend or relative because she wouldn't want to raise a fuss. Right?

"Victims showed greater resistance if the assailant was a friend or relative, if the assailant made verbal threats, and if he physically restrained or injured her. Greater resistance was also associated with less sexual abuse." Beverly Atkeson et al. 1989, Arch. Sexual Behav. 18(6):497-507

Should women take a self defence class?

"What women need is systematic training in self defence that begins in childhood ... How strange it was to hear for the first time in my life that women could fight back, should fight back ... that it is in our interest to know how to do it." -- Susan Brownmiller "Against our Will" 1975 Simon and Schuster NY.

"Self defence is an important way for women to appreciate their strength, whatever it may be, ... Learning self defence, of course, doesn't mean that women can get themselves out of all ugly situations ... However, women with this skill will at least have a choice, and often a higher and more appropriate level of confidence ... many women seriously underestimate their physical capabilities ... self defence training may help women to evaluate themselves more realistically." Diana Russell "The Politics of Rape; the Victim's Perspective." 1975 Stein and Day NY.

"In personal defence and assertiveness training women learn how to avoid being victimized. ... They develop an awareness of rights they had not previously felt were theirs-rights of refusal in particular." Louise Kidder et al 1983 J. Social Issues 39(2):155-170

Self defence courses can even be therapeutic.

"A major part of the meaning of rape is power. The woman is made to feel helpless, unable to defend even that which is most private. Gaining the physical skills to prevent it happening next time is a way of reversing the humiliating sense of powerlessness which is one of rape's lasting effects." -- Diana Warren-Holland et al and Women Against Rape. 1987 Hamlyn, Middlesex England.

"Women who had experienced past physical assaults perceived themselves as vulnerable in a social environment they viewed as fraught with danger. ... The preexisting adverse effects of sexual and physical assaults were enduringly eliminated by the mastery modeling. [the self defence course]" Ozer and Bandura 1990 J Personal. and Social Psychol. 58:472-486.



SPECIFIC PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION

To return to the general topic, here are some considerations for what most people assume is self-defence. Physical methods of surviving a physical attack. Please don't assume you need to study some esoteric martial art for years. Fighting is basic to all cultures and what follows is a distillation of advice from several authors in several cultures. It is, however, difficult to get physical skill from reading alone, consider taking a self defence course, one that teaches self defence, not fighting. By now you should have a good idea of the difference.

1. Scream!

This is almost a universal piece of advice, only one source suggested a situation where it was not advisable, and that was when you were being mugged with a gun, or when an obviously deranged madman was threatening and a scream would push him over the edge. Noise attracts attention and that is desirable in self defence.

2. Run!

If you don't know how to sprint, ask someone to teach you. Practice running in different directions from a standing start (sides and back). Practice dodging and changing direction if you are about to get caught. Watch football runners to see how to "cut" to the side.

3. Use Obstacles!

Do the boss and secretary bit, using cars, desks or trees. Smaller objects can be thrown into the attacker's path.

4. Weapons

Throw things into the face (how about a cup of coffee), Use long objects to poke at the stomach area, use shorter objects to strike at the arms and legs. Try to keep increasing your distance in space and time.

5. Kicking and Punching.

This should be seen as a last resort, with grappling and throwing as something to be dreaded. In this instance, here are the weapons available to you and the target sites you should try for.

WEAPON

TARGET

Head (forehead, back of head) Nose (from bear hug)
Elbow (striking back to) Solar Plexus
(striking back to) Groin
(back or forward) Face
Heel of Palm Nose
(striking up under) Chin
Groin
Little finger edge of fist (hammer fist) Nose
Chin (side)
Cheek
Kidney
(swing back and up) Groin
Fingers (gouge) Eyes
(pinch) Armpit/Inner thigh
(push or jab) Throat (hollow)
(grab) Groin
Knuckles (grind) Ribs
(push) Sturnum
Temple
(grind) Back of hand
Knees (if close) Shin
(if behind) Tailbone
(if assailant bent over) Face
Feet (kick and scrape) Shin
(stomp and grind) Instep
(kick side or back) Knee
Forearms Block strikes by hitting to side
Knock aside grabs to arms
Trying to use a fist if you don't work out on the heavy punching bag regularly can be a painful experience and so it has not been included here as a weapon. All of the above require no special skills beyond the willingness to use them and use them viciously if need be. Remember, a REASONABLE response is a defence under the law, but don't worry about legal defence until after you survive the attack. If you honestly think you need to do it, do it. The jury will likely agree with you.

6. Grappling or Throwing.

Be realistic, unless you are very fast, very well trained and in practice, you don't want to get to this point deliberately. Here are a few suggestions if it happens anyway.

If you're on the ground, get onto your back and keep your assailant away by kicking at the legs, then squirm around so that your head can't be grabbed.

When falling down, don't catch yourself, instead try to spread out the impact into the soft parts of your body, slide down to the ground if possible.

To break a hold, grab one finger and bend it back. Grind a knuckle into the back of the hand. Twist a wrist out past the thumb (don't twist into the fingers). Its worth trying this with a friend.

Spin your whole body around on one foot to knock off a grab to the arm. Use an elbow to the solar plexus or groin to create a little room to spin around in.

Use any of the suggestions in Kicking and Punching in order to make enough space to squirm out and run. Don't waste time.

Scream!



HOW TO PRACTICE SELF DEFENCE

The first and last thing to do is to exercise. Work out both the body and the mind. For the body, the best thing to work on is strength (perhaps with weights), endurance (run or swim), balance (dance, martial arts) and coordination (racquet sports, volleyball, basketball, martial arts).

The mind is the most important thing to exercise.

1. Watch yourself...Detach a part of your mind and install it as an independent observer and monitor on your actions. Make it a companion who does not get drunk or silly, and warns you about unsafe behaviour.

2. Listen around corners....Don't allow anyone to sneak up or startle you. Pay attention to sounds, shadows or anything else that lets you know that someone is there.

3. Predict people's actions....Watch those around you, see if you can tell what they are about to say. Watch people walk and predict which way they will turn and when.

4. Drive defensively....Do the same thing as above, with cars.

5. The "how stupid" game...Watch T.V. and check out how people get into dangerous situations, decide how they could have avoided it. Do the same for newspaper stories, but remember that now you are reading about real people.

6. Personal space....Find the distance where people start to get uncomfortable as you move closer. How is it different at the front, sides and back. Where is your boundary? How does it change for different people, different groups and different situations. Does this space have anything to do with an "aggressive sphere", ie. the reach of a blow or grab?

7. Intuition....After practicing the above, do you start to get "feelings" about people's moods? When are they dangerous, when not.

8. Make up physical games to play while walking around, balance along the curb edge, walk on ice or over rock beds to develop leg skill, walk through crowds, twisting and turning so as not to touch anyone or get stopped completely.

9. Take a self defence course, if there are none offered on campus, agitate to get one going.

CONCLUSION

The time spent at University will be some of the most exciting and busy you will ever experience. There are thousands of people around with similar interests and goals, literally hundreds of different groups and experiences to explore.

Don't get distracted. Pay attention to what you are doing, and what is going on around you. Keep as many options open, at all times, as you can manage. Don't get trapped into a narrow place or into narrow mindedness. Tolerate a small amount of healthy paranoia in order to develop a defensive consciousness and you will find that your ability to take care of yourself will increase ten fold.

Kim Taylor 1993

Dept of Animal Science

University of Guelph

ext. 3700

Reprinted with permission.

last updated April 27, 1998 by Kim Taylor