WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THREATENED BY SOMEONE WITH A GUN?

What Would YOU Do?

Suppose you are walking along the sidewalk, maybe in your neighbourhood or perhaps downtown, when a car pulls up beside you. The driver rolls the window down, and as you look into the car, you realize he’s a stranger. He aims a gun at you and tells you to “get in the car” or he’s going to shoot you.

Would you get in the car?

Most people would.

Yet that is the worst, possible thing you could do. Wherever that stranger is planning to take you, it will be better for him, and worse for you.

Your best move is to turn and run away as fast as you can, in the opposite direction of the car.

Will the driver shoot at you? The odds are 99% that he won’t.

Predators: Their Goal is to Victimize Others

Men that commit these kinds of crimes are predators. Their goal is to victimize others, usually women.

These predators have certain common characteristics that determine their behaviour.

1. Predators will lie about everything.
2. Predators are always looking for the easiest victims.
3. Predators never want to get caught.
4. Most crimes of this nature are about power and control.

How do these facts relate to this situation?

The assailant has threatened to shoot you, if you don’t get into his car.

This is a lie.

He doesn’t have any intention of shooting you in the street. In fact, his “gun” may be a fake, or if it’s a real gun, it is probably unloaded.

He doesn’t know you, so the attempted abduction is not personal.

You are a stranger to him. The one thing you can be sure of is that he doesn’t want to get caught using a weapon trying to kidnap someone.

Shooting a gun at you, in an area where there’s people around, would not be in his best interest. A gunshot makes a very loud noise and will attract attention.

People will look, and he’ll be seen.

The predator wants the attempted abduction to go smoothly. He is trying to get power and control over you.

Your resistance by running away tells him that you’re not going to be an easy person to control.

He will then decide that he’ll move on to find another victim. Someone easier to intimidate.

He doesn’t know you. He doesn’t care who you are. He wants to find someone he can easily control and get to do whatever he wants. You’ve shown him you’re not that kind of person.

Decide in advance how best to react

As in the previous safety article, you won’t be able to do this unless you make a decision to do so.

The only way you can be sure to respond like this (running away instead of getting into the car), is to make a pre-choice decision.

A pre-choice decision is when you think about a situation ahead of time, and decide how you’re going to respond before it ever happens.

You probably have already made a number of pre-choice decisions.

For example, you’ve probably decided that if someone in your household has a heart attack, you’re going to call 911. You’ve thought about the possibility of this kind of crisis in advance, and determined the best course of action.

This kind of thinking can help save your life

Confronted by a man pointing a gun at you, your normal instinct would be to do as he says, and get in the car. You won’t have the time to think things through.

But if you’ve considered this new information (above) and made a pre-choice decision to run, you will run.

And your chances of staying safe will be greatly increased.

~

Disclaimer

If you think your life is in danger, always call the emergency services whenever possible.

This information is intended for guidance only. Use your own judgement in each situation.

It is impossible to describe a 'common' rape. Each rapist operates in an individual way, and women need to be aware of a variety of techniques to help themselves in a rape situation. There is no one answer to assure safety.

Please bear in mind that these safety tips were designed for Canadian citizens and advice will vary in different situations and locations. Always use your own local knowledge of your region in applying the safety tips.

~

Resources

Rape: Psychology, Prevention and Impact - by Marcia Cohen and Sherrie H. McKenna - Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
Rape and Sexual Assault - by Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D. - National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center - Medical University of South Carolina