In light of Charlottesville's recent crime wave, student safety has returned to the spotlight. The University Police Department and Charlottesville Police Department have upped patrols in areas where crimes have occurred and have issued guidelines for how students can stay safe. In an interview, University Police officer Debra Davenport shared several ways to ward off an attacker and avoid dangerous situations when traveling at night. Mastering these skills, though, should not serve as an excuse for walking alone at night or doing things that would otherwise be considered dangerous. Students are encouraged to remain vigilant and walk in groups when traveling at night.
Do not look like a "soft target." Appear confident and alert, even when you are with friends. If you do not look like someone who can be easily taken advantage of, you are much less likely to become a victim.
Remove the opportunity. An attacker will not take advantage of a situation unless he gets an opportunity. Do not walk alone at night, keep to areas with a good number of people during the day, look in the back seat of your car before getting in and stay aware of your surroundings.
Use your instincts. Your "gut reaction" serves as a survival mechanism, so if a situation or person is making you uncomfortable, walk away.
Know how to use your weapons. If you carry a defensive weapon like pepper-spray or a tazer, make sure you know how to use it properly. Get training or at least do research online. Remember that these kinds of weapons are only useful when an attacker is very close.
Be prepared. Take a self-defense class through a program such as Rape Aggression Defense.
Maintain a defensive posture. Be assertive by staying calm, standing straight and being prepared to defend yourself. This posture will make you appear to be a more difficult target and may dissuade the potential attacker.
Blue emergency phones. If you can, get to one the blue emergency phones which are scattered across Grounds and call directly for help. During the night, they are lit up for easier visibility.
Remember to yell but not scream. Yelling phrases such as, "Get away," requires the use of your diaphragm, which projects your voice and makes it more likely that you will be heard. Do not make a high-pitched scream, as it will not carry as far as a deep yell.
Use your personal weapons. The best weapons are the ones you always have: your nails, teeth, head and other parts of your body. Elbow, bite, head-butt, scratch, do anything you can to cause an attacker to let you go.
Aim for the shin. If you are attacked from behind, one strategy is to go for the attacker's sensitive front shin. Raking your heel down the attacker's shin may buy you time to escape.
Go for the nose. You may have been told to attack the nose by pushing upwards with the heel of your palm, but the flesh on your hand actually cushions this kind of blow. It is more effective to use the bones of your fingers. Hold your fingers firmly together and orient your hand so the palm is facing away from you. Then, drive the side of your fingers upward into the attacker's nasal pressure point. The pressure point lies just between the nostrils and above the dip in the lip.
Any soft tissue is a good target. Attacking these soft areas may incapacitate an attacker. Sensitive areas include the eyes, ears and throat.
Do not lace keys between your fingers. If you need to use keys as a weapon, do not hold them between your fingers, as this method will tear the skin off your hand. Instead, hold the keys with a fist.
There are several other defensive techniques that can be used against an attacker, but learning them requires time and practice, Davenport said. Some of these moves are complicated, and training is required to know which moves are appropriate for each situation. The Rape Aggression Defense System is a program that teaches basic knowledge of self-defense during 12 hours spread through four weekly classes, she said. The next Charlottesville-area RAD program begins Nov. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. and continues during the next three Tuesday evenings.
Contact Melissa Fielding at fielding@virginia.edu to register.
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