Women who pay attention and keep their heads in an attack situation nearly always fare better. Just as you can drive around or through a tricky highway situation, when an attack is eminent, if you use your head, you may be able to work your way out of danger.

In a recent study, the majority of potential rapists reported that a woman who is ready, willing and able to fight back is not worth the risk. The would-be attacker is looking for an easy mark. He does not want to deal with a feisty woman who yells “STOP!” or “GET BACK!” and makes it very clear that she will not go down without a fight. Her noisy protests are likely to attract a lot of attention - unwanted attention.

That’s why personal alarms are so useful. The noise they make is deafening. Also, some stun gun models are also equipped with sound alarms. More than one potential attacker has given up when faced by a woman who clearly demonstrates that she will not go down quickly or quietly.

Another personal, non-lethal self defense weapon that is a serious deterrent is pepper spray or Mace. Even for the more reluctant user, just having the canister in its dispenser improves your odds. In a potentially dangerous situation yell, “I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY!” and hold it in the “I am ready to use this on you” mode. Most would-be attackers will abandon their assault and leave the area.