Imagine walking to your car after a night class. It is dark and the street lights offer minuscule security. You remember hearing things about not walking alone after dark and try to ignore the anxiety that shoots through your mind every time you pass a darkened doorway. Clutching your keys, you tell yourself, “I’m almost there. Just calm down.”
Suddenly you hear footsteps quietly not too far in the rear. You quicken your pace and repeat,
“Calm down. It’s just another student walking back from class.”
Then, without warning, you feel a hand clamp over your mouth and another hand tightly grip your arm. What do you do now?
One of the most terrifying possibilities of life is that of a physical attack. It is unpleasant to think about, but shouldn’t be ignored. This is especially true for college students who constantly hear stories about perpetrators who turn people into victims amidst the chaos of campus.
You don’t have to be an expert martial artist to be able to defend yourself against a physical onslaught. There are basic principles you can implement into your daily life, and things you can keep in mind to use if necessary, that could end up saving your life.
Attitude Attitude is the first, and often most overlooked part of defending yourself. If you hold yourself in a confident and alert manner, perpetrators will be less likely to view you as a victim and attack. When walking around campus, or anywhere, hold yourself high — shoulders back. Keep your eyes up and look around. Don’t slump or watch your feet as you walk. If you must text, look up every few words. The basic principle is that you want to look like you’re an alert part of the world. If you start to look like you’re off in your own little bubble, a perpetrator will see you as an easy target.
Awareness As much as it’s uncomfortable to think about, you need to be aware of the possibility that you can be attacked. No one is invincible. Being both too timid and too confident could be your downfall. The best way to avoid both extremes is to operate in a healthily aware manner. If you have a late class, get someone to walk with you. If not a friend, there are campus escorts. Call the Safety Escort Service or ASU Police to ask for an escort. If you end up walking alone, call someone on your phone (or even hold your phone up to your ear and pretend to have a conversation). If a perpetrator sees that you are in contact with someone, as in someone would notice if you suddenly stopped talking or screamed, they are much less likely to attack. Also, trust your gut. If you feel there’s something wrong in a situation, you might be right.
Action Even if you’ve done all the “right” things, there is still the possibility of being attacked. If this happens, the key is to jump to action. The perpetrator might harass you with words at first; your response is strong, confident body language, but not an aggressive “fighting” stance. Make steady eye contact with the perpetrator, put your arms out in front and say “Hey, I don’t want any trouble here.” Pull your phone out and warn that you will call the police.
If the perpetrator goes for physical control, you need to act immediately. Scream as loudly as you can. Not only will this startle your attacker, it will get the attention of anyone nearby. If the attacker tries to cover your mouth, bite the hand. Remember that the soft spots of the body, such as the groin, eyes, throat and ears, are the easiest ways to inflict the most pain. You are now fighting for your life — it’s going to be scrappy.
If you are attacked from behind with your arms pinned, throw your head back to headbutt the attacker, and kick your heel up into the groin. If your arms aren’t pinned, you can also reach behind and pull the attacker’s hair or use the palms of your hands to smack the attacker’s ears.
If the attacker grabs your wrist or arm, pull your hand towards you against the space where the attacker’s thumb and pointer finger point toward each other. This is the weakest part of the grab. Take one of your fingers and place it between the two clavicle bones, directly below the Adam’s apple. Push down as hard as you can, this will cause the attacker to start to gag and back away.
Another quick tip is, when in doubt, go for the eyes. Poking the attacker’s eyes is an easy and effective way of fighting back. Utilize your elbows and knees as weapons. Use them like baseball bats to batter the attacker. You want to make it absolute hell for this person to continue trying to attack you. It is most important to not give up, never stop moving, retaliating, flailing around and screaming. This is not a time to for passivity.
It is a misconception that the natural reaction to an attack is strong and thoughtful actions. Actually, it is more natural for the body to tense up from the shock of the situation and slow down.
The chances of getting physically attacked are low. Despite that, it is in your best interest to keep the possibility in the back of your mind so you are never caught completely off guard. Bearing in mind the principles of attitude, awareness and action, go about your days in attentive confidence.
ASU Resources
ASU Police Website: http://cfo.asu.edu/police
Safety Escort Services
Downtown Phoenix 602-496-3456
Polytechnic 480-727-3456
Tempe Safety Escort Information 480-965-1515
West Available through ASU’s West campus DPS 602-543-3456
Reach the reporter dkmcinty@asu.edu
