Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["S. Daniel Carter" <>]

The forwarded e-mail below titled "Through a Rapist's Eyes (No Joke)" was
received from a student who'd received it from another student and I was
wondering if anyone on the list was familiar with it or the original source?
This appears to be cobbled together from a number of internet postings of
questionable credibility and has been circulating for over a year but that
is about all I've been able to track down. Any insights would be
appreciated.

********************************
S. Daniel Carter
Senior Vice President
Security On Campus, Inc.
http://www.securityoncampus.org/
e-mail:

------ Forwarded Message

  Through a Rapist's Eyes (No Joke)

  <>
    A group o f rapists and date rapists in prison were
interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are
some interesting facts:
   
    1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is
hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a wo man with a ponytail,
bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed . They are also
likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not
common targets. 
   
    2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look
for women who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry
scissors around specifically to cut clothing.
   
    3) They also look for women on their cell phone, searching
through their purse, or < B doing other activities while walking because
they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.
   
    4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning,
between 5:00a.m. and 8:30a. m.
   
    5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is
grocery store parking lots. Number two: is office parking lots/garages.
Number three: is public restrooms.
   
    6) The thing about these men is tha t they are looking to
grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't
have to worry about getting caught.
   
    7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a
3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
   
    8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get
discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize
that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
   
    9) These men said they would not pick on women who have
umbrellas , or other similar objects that can be used from a distance,
in their hands. Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really
close to t he attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to
convince these guys you're not worth it.
   
    10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone
is following b ehind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an
elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question ,
like what time is it, or make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is
so cold out here,' 'we're in for a bad winter.' Now you've seen their
face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
   
    11) If someone is coming toward you , hold out your hands in
front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK ! Most of the rapists this man
talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that
she would not be afraid to fight back . Again, they are looking for an
EASY target. 
   
    12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge
advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goe s) , yell I HAVE
PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
   
    13) If someone grabs you , you can't beat them with st rength
but you can by outsmarting them If you are grabbed around the waist from
behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and
armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD . One woman in a
class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who
was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin
and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching
yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it - it hurts.
   
    14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN . I know
from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's
parts it is extremely painful . You might think that you'll anger the
guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told
our instructor is that they want a woman who wil l not cause a lot of
trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of there.
   
    15) W hen the guy puts his hands up to you , grab his first
two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure
pushing down on them as possible . The instructor did it to me without
using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles
cracked audibly. 
   
    16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always
be aware of your surroundings , take someone with you if you can and if
you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!
   
   
    You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much
worse if the guy really was trouble.
   
    1 . Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point
on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
   
    2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans . If a
robber as ks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM . Toss
it away from you...chances ar e that he is more interested in your
wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN
LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
   
    3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out
the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving
    like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else
will. This has saved lives.
   
    4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after
shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or
making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you,
and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger
side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU
GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
   
        a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO
NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and
speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If
the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as
the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find
your body in a remote location.
   
    b . A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot
or parking garage: 
   
    A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the
passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
   
    B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from
the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling
    them into their vans while the women are attempting to get
into their cars. 
   
    C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your
vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat
nearest your car, you may want to wa lk back into the mall, or work, and
get a guard/policeman to wa lk you back out.
   
    IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better
paranoid than dead.)
   
    6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.
(Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot.
This is
    especially true at NIGHT!)
   
    7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his
control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4
in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.
RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!
   
    8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP! It
may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a
good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of
unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked
'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehic le, w hich is when he
abduct ed his next victim.
   
    9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend
heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called
the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police
told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.
    The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled
near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and
get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a
serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of
their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have
not verified it , but have had several calls by women saying that they
hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.
   
   
    Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying
baby ----This should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory
was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they
profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.
   
   
 
 

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