There are over 600,000 incidents of “violence against the person” reported in the UK every year. Home Office figures produced in 2000 suggest that 167 women are raped in the UK every day although only one-fifth of attacks are reported to the police.
If you think that your runner’s speed and fitness will protect you against assault, you are giving someone out there a huge opportunity to hurt you.
To protect yourself, you must first get rid of that if-could-never-happen-to-me attitude, and then take the precautions that are necessary to protect yourself from violent crime. To find out how you can run safely, J.J. Bittenbinder, police inspector and safety lecturer, offers some tips.
After more than two decades of working with more than a thousand offenders, witnesses and victims of violent street crime, Bittenbinder has seen it all. And he has come up with some tough strategies to keep you safe on the streets. Indeed, what he has to say could save your life.
Q: Do women runners need to be constantly aware that they are potential victims?
A: I’d hate women to be scared every step of the way when running. You have to realize that bad things can happen to anybody, any place, and any time. But if you have a plan of action, you won’t have to concentrate on the fear. Every bad guy is different, but you have to be trained to do certain things and use certain skills if a bad situation comes up. Then your attitude changes – instead of being afraid, you say to yourself, “This stuff can happen, but I know how to prevent it.” You will be more self-assured and, believe me, that comes through in how you look and behave towards potential attackers.
Q: Is there anything that a woman can carry with her while she is running that she can use if someone threatens her?
A: Yes. You can try a personal alarm. And not only will it help you get out of a threatening situation, but just carrying it will make you feel tougher. And if you feel tough, you will look tough. And potential attackers will be more likely to leave you alone.
Q: Should runners carry money or identification?
A: Carry some coins in case you want to run to a phone box and call for help. And yes, carrying personal identification is a good idea.
Q: We tell runners not to wear headphones. Do you agree with this viewpoint?
A: Get rid of them. I really don’t like those things. They are a bit like wearing sunglasses in the dark. I appreciate that lots of people love them. In fact, I have had many women come up to me and say, “But I feel so confident when I am listening to my own music.” Well, that is because you are blocking out reality. You are in never-never land. When you wear those things, you may not have that extra 3- to 4-metre head start to break away at pace, and that factor could be the difference between making it or not – all because you couldn’t hear the potential attacker approaching.
Q: What time of day should women run?
A: Early-morning hours are the best because bad people are probably still in bed. We get a lot of reports of sexual assaults in the early evening, around 6 p.m.
Q: What if a stranger is approaching a woman – should she ignore him or acknowledge him?
A: When a man and woman approach each other, there comes a point when the woman looks away. And the reason she looks away is because, if she doesn’t she may encourage a comment from this man that she doesn’t especially want to hear. So she looks away – usually down.
But that is like saying, “I am weak”, or “I don’t want to be here”. I suggest that you wave your eyes across him once, but don’t look down straight after. Look to the other side or over his head. Remember, it is the one who looks the toughest who won’t get picked as a victim. Meeting someone’s gaze adds to a strong self-image, which is exactly what you want to project.
Q: Do you advise that women run with dogs?
A: Yes. A dog is an unknown thing to a potential attacker. He doesn’t know what the dog is capable of, and he doesn’t know about the intensity of the bond between dog and master. Just don’t call your dog Muffin or something like that when a suspicious character is around. I like Fang or Bandit a lot better.
Q: Where should women run? Are country roads safer than city streets?
A: The depths of the countryside are not the place to be. If a potential attacker looks both ways on a country road and it is empty, he knows there will be nobody to interrupt him. But a deserted city street doesn’t make things as easy – there could always be somebody looking out of a window or driving around a corner. Run where there are people and activities around you. And vary your routes and the exact time you exercise so that someone who notices you won’t be able to predict your whereabouts.
Q: Is there a profile of a potential attacker?
Note by KC: Now continue reading the earlier posting, if you want, which was a continuation from here.
Amby Burfoot’s (the Executive Editor, Runner’s World) Running Round-up
In addition to the good advice in the preceding paragraphs, women runners can do one more simple thing: they can run with a group. There is strength in numbers, after all, not to mention that it is a lot of fun.
All across the country, small (and sometimes large) groups of women get together for regularly scheduled runs. They meet in the early morning before daybreak and in the evening after the sun has set. They run together because it adds to their motivation (it is hard to miss a workout if others are waiting for you), because it becomes a social time, because it is easier to train hard with others and for dozens of other reasons unique to every group. Often, safety is the least of their concerns but an important payoff nonetheless.
If you can’t find a women’s running group, look to run with a male friend. It only takes one, and many women can run as fast as the men, so it is no problem keeping up. If you can’t keep up with the fast men, then run with them on their easy days when they run slowly. Look for running partners at work, with your running club or in your local area. If you have just one of two days a week when you have to run in the dark or in your local area where you don’t feel secure, you may be able to schedule escorted runs on those days.
A final (and regrettable) word about trail running: As trail running becomes more and more popular, increasing numbers of women find themselves drawn to it. And why not? It is hard to beat a relaxed run in a scenic, natural environment. Unfortunately, trail running raises a number of safety concerns, so don’t do it alone. Get together with a friend or friends to enjoy trail running as a group activity.
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