# Girls, how do you defend yourselves? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775 "2015-06-06T12:10:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/41 "2015-06-09T17:26:18Z")
As a 6’4" goofy-looking white guy, if I have to walk outside late at night I go pants-less. No one bothers me… ---
**Author:** ![Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cdc98d/32.png) [@Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogant_B_st_rd)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/42 "2015-06-09T17:42:02Z")
I always find it interesting how women, who are on average not as strong as men find little interest in compensating for that fact. I’m amazed how many of my female friends like to ride around in the ghetto on their bikes without packing a weapon. Is it socialization? Is it just the way women have evolved? Non-violent to a fault. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/43 "2015-06-09T17:50:00Z")
I speak softly and walk with a large pitbull. Obviously, she is not with me 24/7. If I’m out walking my neighborhood at night, it’s to walk her, and that’s probably the greatest danger in general, that I might encounter on a daily basis. I usually walk her in the afternoon anyway. I’ve seen many people cross the street to avoid getting too close to us. If she doesn’t want you anywhere near me, you ain’t getting anywhere near me. She’s also the Home Security System. On the rare occasions I’m out alone after dark, I’m using situational awareness, calm, controlled confidence, and hopefully just some general common sense. Being armed would not prevent an attack; it might only improve my odds of coming out of it unscathed by a little bit. I refuse to live in paranoid fear. I prefer the term cautiously optimistic. If shit happens, though, shit happens. I can probably recover from most anything but death. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/44 "2015-06-09T18:26:22Z")
When my mum was working nights and making house calls in Chicago in the 40’s, her dad gave her a cosh. Leather, flexible, weighted. It’s a lovely thing, but as a bloke I’d get into a world of trouble if caught carrying it. I think it’s still stored away somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/45 "2015-06-09T18:36:06Z")
> [@Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](#): > > I always find it interesting how women, who are on average not as strong as men find little interest in compensating for that fact. I’m amazed how many of my female friends like to ride around in the ghetto on their bikes without packing a weapon. > > Is it socialization? Is it just the way women have evolved? Non-violent to a fault. I don’t really believe having a gun will save me. On the contrary, most men are stronger than me so if they manage to get it off me all I have done is provide them with a weapon. Plus I don’t really believe that 99.9% of people have the cool calm demeanor so vaunted in the movies and stuff. Most people when attacked will not be quick enough on the draw unless they are trained. And judging by the people I see at the range - and I do shoot, I just don’t carry - most of them aren’t trained one little bit. ---
**Author:** ![SarahR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@SarahR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SarahR)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/46 "2015-06-09T21:40:03Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > My self defense teacher told me never to bother going for the balls - men have been hit so many times as children the reflex is just way too ingrained. He said to stomp on the instep or elbow in the gut, but never to bother with the balls. Of course if you have a gun, it becomes a different story 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/47 "2015-06-09T21:51:10Z")
> [@Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](#): > > I always find it interesting how women, who are on average not as strong as men find little interest in compensating for that fact. I’m amazed how many of my female friends like to ride around in the ghetto on their bikes without packing a weapon. > > Is it socialization? Is it just the way women have evolved? Non-violent to a fault. Like **Anaamika** , and setting aside the legal issues with carrying in Chicago, I just don’t think it would help much. I’d be giving the attacker a weapon, if s/he didn’t have one already. Worse, I might miss and hit some kid standing behind him. Honestly, I’d rather literally die than shoot an innocent kid. There’s too much of that in this city already. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/48 "2015-06-09T21:52:21Z")
Carry mace when appropriate, and always wear shoes I can run/kick in. I don’t do the key thing per se, but I do make sure I have my car key in hand when I go out to my car. And like **Nava** , \>=47, therefore invisible. Even better, in winter, I stick my hair up under a stocking cap and wear a parka. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/49 "2015-06-09T21:59:09Z")
> [@Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](#): > > I always find it interesting how women, who are on average not as strong as men find little interest in compensating for that fact. I’m amazed how many of my female friends like to ride around in the ghetto on their bikes without packing a weapon. > > Is it socialization? Is it just the way women have evolved? Non-violent to a fault. Your female friends don’t carry weapons while riding bikes because they have some sense. ---
**Author:** ![SarahR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@SarahR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SarahR)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/50 "2015-06-09T23:21:16Z")
> [@Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](#): > > I always find it interesting how women, who are on average not as strong as men find little interest in compensating for that fact. I’m amazed how many of my female friends like to ride around in the ghetto on their bikes without packing a weapon. > > Is it socialization? Is it just the way women have evolved? Non-violent to a fault. When someone attacks you on the street the advantage doesn’t go to the person with the best weapon, it goes to the person who knows what is about to happen. Which is inevitably the attacker. The element of surprise is significant enough to either render a weapon useless or turn it on the user a lot of the time, so its not surprising women aren’t that keen. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/51 "2015-06-10T11:27:52Z")
> [@Arrogant\_B\_st\_rd](#): > > I always find it interesting how women, who are on average not as strong as men find little interest in compensating for that fact. I’m not as pretty as many. So from time to time I add a little tinted lip balm, a little tinted moisturiser, a little mascara. But I don’t make it my sole focus to look as beautiful as possible, admire only the pretty people because I value other things too. I’m not as smart as many. So I read a bit, try to improve my knowledge in various areas, try to keep learning. But I don’t devote my entire life to the pursuit of knowledge, and look down upon those stupider than I, because I have other interests too. I’m not as strong as many. So I try to practice situational awareness, be confident and not do things that are high risk with a low pay-off. But I don’t spend all my time learning how to use various weapons, taking steroids and pumping iron, missing out on life in order to avoid all risks and living in fear of those stronger… because I have other priorities. Like ALL OTHER PEOPLE, (women ARE people you know, not some exotic weaker alien species apart from men), everyone weighs up their environment, their personality, their prejudices, their strengths and weaknesses, their energy, time, disposable income, etc and with all those competing priorities, makes their own choices. I always find it _interesting_ when someone picks one aspect of life, and mulls over how unmotivated the “others” are in reaching a certain arbitrary standard. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/52 "2015-06-11T13:47:06Z")
There is a new study out: > [@](#): > > Female university students who completed 12 hours of training on resisting sexual assaults experienced far fewer rapes and attempted rapes, according to a new Canadian study. > > The study involved 893 female Canadian students who were either given the training – known as the Enhanced Assess Acknowledge Act Sexual Assault Resistance Program (EAAA) – or formed a control group where they were asked to read brochures. > > One year later, those who took the EAAA had experienced 46 per cent fewer completed rapes (5.2 per cent versus 9.8 per cent) and 63 per cent fewer attempted rapes (3.4 per cent versus 9.3 per cent) than the control group. > **[Women trained to resist sexual assault far less likely to be raped: study](https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/women-trained-to-resist-sexual-assault-far-less-likely-to-be-raped-study-1.2416122)** > > Female university students who completed 12 hours of training on resisting sexual assaults experienced far fewer rapes and attempted rapes, according to a new Canadian study. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/53 "2015-06-11T14:08:04Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Like **Anaamika** , and setting aside the legal issues with carrying in Chicago, I just don’t think it would help much. I’d be giving the attacker a weapon, if s/he didn’t have one already. Worse, I might miss and hit some kid standing behind him. Honestly, I’d rather literally die than shoot an innocent kid. There’s too much of that in this city already. ☹ Yeah, that’s the other thing, too. I live in NY, which has some pretty strict gun control laws, and my county and town have even stricter ones. If I wanted to carry, concealed or otherwise, I’d have to move. And it’s just not something that’s high on my priority list. I am happy that if someone handed me a gun I wouldn’t stare at it blankly and would know how to check the safety, check the magazine, etc., but I also don’t need to be packing all the time. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/54 "2015-06-11T14:18:15Z")
My wife has a little knurled aluminum baton on her keychain. It’s maybe 6 inches long and 3/4" in diameter, and looks like a mini-nunchuck. She took some classes where the device can be used to help pry open the grip of someone choking or grabbing her, stab eyes or throat, or be used to swing the rest of the keychain contents as a short-range surprise weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775/55 "2015-06-12T18:11:23Z")
I am more likely to be harassed by a black bear than a human. I carry a small knife and I \*always[/] know what’s around me. I also have exceptional hearing. If anyone were to attack me, they would not come out of it unscathed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-how-do-you-defend-yourselves/721775.md?page=2)