Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxf.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxf!features From: features@ihuxf.UUCP (M.A. Zeszutko) Newsgroups: net.women,net.singles Subject: Re: Rape: The Unresolved Trauma Message-ID: <2504@ihuxf.UUCP> Date: Mon, 10-Dec-84 11:19:09 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxf.2504 Posted: Mon Dec 10 11:19:09 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Dec-84 03:33:18 EST References: <1855@sun.uucp>, <938@abnjh.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 37 Xref: watmath net.women:3738 net.singles:4801 Someone suggested that public confrontation is no good to deter rape, that the fear of immediate mutilation or death at the hands of the would-be victim would be the only possible deterrence. I disagree. I think that public confrontation may be an effective deterrent, if done before the assault. One of my favorite stories in _A_g_a_i_n_s_t _R_a_p_e by Medea and Thomson tells how a young woman was walking in downtown Chicago at noon in a lunchtime crowd. One man was following her, whispering obscenities and lewd propositions. She just tried ignoring him for a couple of minutes, but he wouldn't stop. So she turned to face him, and started hollering at him, along the lines of "You are supposed to be a respectable businessman. What gives you the idea that you've got the right to harrass women..." and he tried to slink back into the crowd, unnoticed. He didn't succeed. He was most noticed. He didn't try harrassing that woman again. The fear of public embarrassment was enough of a deterrence. As far as dealing with guns goes, there's another story told by teachers from Chimera, a Chicago-based women's self-defense organization. One woman had had just "one of those days", where nothing went right. She was hopping mad, and in no mood to put up with any nonsense from anyone. On her way home, she was accosted by a man. She just pushed him aside and said, "Get out of my way!" He did. It wasn't until she reached home that she realized he had had a gun pointed at her. Evidently, he figured that anyone who would push aside a man with a gun was crazy, and he didn't want to deal with any crazy people. While this isn't failsafe, it helps: Don't look like a victim. You don't have to be an expert in the martial arts to survive. Just look as if you'd be too much trouble to tangle with. Whatever works for you is fine. -- aMAZon @ AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL; ihnp4!ihuxf!features "Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night."