WARNING!!: The video above is shocking and shows graphic violence against a woman.
I recently stumbled upon the video above that shows a young 16 year old girl being viciously assaulted by a 34 year old man. The attack was completely unprovoked, random, and happened in day light hours. This sort of thing is simple chilling to watch. Note how the attacker doesn't rob the victim, doesn't get into a verbal altercation with them, and seemingly attacks the girl with no motive at all. It seems as if the attack was done just for the thrill. Scary to say the least.
What could have been done to help prevent this sort of attack, what could have been done to defend against this sort of attack? The truth is, it's very hard to actually prevent or defend against this sort of random, sneak assault. However, it's not impossible.
If anything I think this video just goes to show how important it is to be very aware of your surroundings. One of the biggest steps you can take towards protecting yourself from a violent situation is simply being aware of people, sounds, cars, strange behaviour, and other factors around you when you're out in public. This means also being aware that anyone around you , at any time, without reason could be capable of committing an act of violence against you or the ones you love. Quite simply you shouldn't trust the people around you to be peaceful or reasonable like you. You need to avoid walking and texting or listening to music with head phones. These things drown out your environment and make you less aware of what's happening around you.
Traveling alone in unfamiliar territory or walking/jogging in areas that are not well lit are also bad ideas, so avoid short cuts and stay where people can see you. Don't be afraid or feel silly avoiding people that set off your gut feeling that something is not right. If you're sitting near them on the bus get up and move, if you're walking on the same side of the street as them, cross the street or go into a public place like a store and wait until they move along or call yourself a cab.
I myself try to keep an eye on everyone around me, I try to make sure I have an exit plan when I enter a building, vehicle or room. I always listen for footsteps around me, the speed there happening at and if there is a change of pace. I watch the people behind me in the reflections of windows to see if there is any strange behaviour. I also usually do a check of my surroundings every couple of seconds to see if there is any change or anything strange that seems out of place or raises suspicion.
I know this sounds a little paranoid, maybe even a little crazy, but it has saved my life before and I would rather sound crazy than be face down on the concrete or dead.
My thoughts and well wishes go out to this girl in the video above. I hope that her attacker receives the punishment he deserves, and I hope that she makes a full recovery. I just hope that this video helps open peoples eyes to the importance of awareness as a self defence tool and just how important it can be in saving your life.
- Tim
