WOMEN AT RISK

Although there are many topics on Women at Risk, we are going to discuss two primary positions:

  • Domestic Violence - Recognizing An Abusive Relationship
  • Women at Work - Professions in High Risk Professions

Each year, more than 1,200 women in the U.S. are killed by husbands or boyfriends. Domestic violence against women is common. It happens to teenage girls and women of all backgrounds. Only a tiny percentage of them will have sought help from domestic violence programs. Despite being abused - which often brings police attention - they don't fully comprehend or accept the extent of the danger posed by men who they thought loved them. Identifying those most at risk so they can get help is the goal of most organizations designed to help women in abusive relationships.

Domestic Violence - Know and Recognize Signs of Abuse

It may not be easy to identify abuse, especially at first. While some relationships are clearly abusive from the outset, abuse often starts subtly and gets worse over time. Abuse may begin with occasional hurtful comments, jealously or controlling behavior. As it gets worse, the abuse may become more frequent, severe or violent. As the cycle of abuse worsens, your safety or the safety of your children may be in danger.

Are You A Victim of Abuse? You May Be If:

  • Your husband or partner controls the finances so you have to begg for money.
  • He looks at you or acts in ways that scare you.
  • He acts jealous or possessive or accuses you of being unfaithful.
  • He tries to control how you spend your time, who you see or talk to, where you go or what you wear.
  • He wants you to get permission to make everyday decisions.
  • He gets angry when drinking alcohol or using drugs.
  • He scares you by driving recklessly.
  • He threatens to kill himself.

You are very likely in an abusive relationship if you have a relationship with someone who does one of the following:

  • Hits, kicks, shoves, slaps, or chokes you or threatens you with violence or a weapon.
  • Forces you to have sexual intercourse or engage in sexual acts against your will.
  • Calls you names, insults you or puts you down.
  • Prevents you from going to work or school.
  • Stops you from seeing family members and friends.
  • Hurts or threatens you, your children or pets
  • Destroys your property.
  • Controls your access to medicines.
  • Blames you for his or her violent behavior or tells you that you deserve it.
  • Says that his or her abusive behavior is no big deal or even denies doing it
  • Tries to prevent you from calling the police or seeking medical care.
  • Tries to force you to drop charges.

An abusive relationship is about power and control. The first thing you need to do is recognize it and seek help. There are many local organizations that provide domestic violence support. If you need immediate assistance while at home, you should dial 911. To find an organization near you, contact the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and check the Station Coalition List. Support can come in various forms from crisis intervention, emotion support, advocacy and legal assistance, to other support services.

Also consider attending a personal security and safety awareness program that discusses ways to keep safe through education, self-defense training and awareness. You will learn simple, yet effective self-defense techniques, tactics, and strategies that will help you protect and defend yourself should you be attacked. Many women claim this knowledge along with the new skills give them more self-confidence and a feeling of empowerment - sometimes enough to assertively verbalize to an attacker to "LEAVE ME ALONE".

Women At Work - Violence in High Risk Professions

Violence is a risk factor that reaches across a wide variety of businesses and industries. The professions that we have profiled are a small sampling of the range of women at risk professions. More will definitely be added to the profile list.

Here are some of the reasons why these professions are considered high risk:

  • They may work alone with clients or prospective clients or in small groups
  • The may work late at night or the early morning hours - shift workers
  • The often must travel to high-crime areas or work in community settings or homes which involve extensive contact with the public

One of the highest professions at risk is the Real Estate Industry. They now have specific safety guidelines established by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to help keep realtors safe and alive. Realtors fit the (3) reasons listed above. They travel to vacant homes with strangers and they hold open houses - many times alone - while complete strangers and even predators can just walk into the home. Men are typically robbed while women are sexually assaulted and robbed. Both sexes are murdered. According to statistics, over 70 real estate agents were killed on the job between 1980 and 1992. That number has increased dramatically since that time. For this profession, the need for safety awareness and self-defense training should be a high priority.

Another profession that acknowledges workplace violence are health care workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that "its data shows that in 2000, 48% of all non-fatal injuries from occupational assaults and violent acts occurred in health care and social services". Most of these occurred in hospitals, nursing and personal care facilities, and residential care services. Home health care and social service workers were considered to have a higher than average risk of workplace violence. Being safe in the communities that they work in requires they follow established safety procedures, use common sense, and occasionally rely on one's own intuition. The safety precautions they follow would also parallel precautions that you and I might take when visiting the mall or walking the streets in our own neighborhoods.

Many companies have written policies on how the company will avoid workplace violence, educate employees and managers to deal with threats, and provide adequate security. But what about the sales employee, health care worker, or medical professional who works outside of the office 90% of the time meeting with clients and/or prospects in their homes or businesses? What are the policies, procedures and guidelines for these employees in the event they are attacked or sexually assaulted while on the job? Are there certain restrictions that they can and cannot do if this should happen to them?

More and more companies are providing training benefits for their employees - especially women - that specialize in educating employees about personal security and safety awareness, home safety protection, and self-defense training. Employees learn new skills and strategies on how to protect and defend themselves against serious attacks. After attending these safety awareness programs, women have stated they feel more empowered because they now know what to do, more self-confident because of their new skills, and even developed a more assertive demeanor.

A part of most safety awareness training is discussing personal protection options or alternatives in the event an attacker is aggressively overpowering. The option should be out there to use personal protection to disable an attacker if the new skills are not totally effective. Carrying a non-lethal device such as pepper spray, mace spray, a stun gun or a C2 Taser usually will stun the attacker enough for the victim to get away to safety. This option should be secondary and used only when the first line of defense fails to throw off the attacker. Proper device training is highly recommended when you use any type of non-lethal personal protection.

Remember when using self-defense techniques and personal protection devices that the ultimately goal should be to disable an attacker enough to be able to get away to safety and call the authorities. It should not be to bring on more force than is necessary once your attacker is down and disabled. It is to get away from the crime scene as quickly as possible and notify the police.

Women should inquire with their employer about hosting a Personal Security and Safety Awareness Program. Knowledge is half the battle in staying safe... and alive. Many companies have found this type of training to be a valuable investment in their employees.

Also, check out the Women at Risk series to see the various high risk professions and recommended safety.

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