Beth Alcazar states, “Statistics have shown that one in four women is attacked either by an intimate partner, spouse, or an unknown assailant and that 40% of U.S. females are in abusive relationships.”
Editor’s note: Beth Alcazar, a Chelsea, Alabama resident, leads between 60 and 100 seminars each year on women’s safety and self-defense. She is also the women’s editor at Concealed Carry Magazine and the author of the book, Women’s Handgun and Self-Defense Fundamentals. Personal Defense World asked Alcazar to identify the 10 self-defense questions that women want to know and to provide their answers.
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Beth Alcazar Talks Women’s Safety
1: Why is it that women are more likely to be the target of physical attacks than men?
Beth Alcazar: Statistics indicate that one in four women are attacked by an intimate partner, spouse, or another unknown assailant. A further 40% of American women live in abusive relationships. Women are typically smaller in body and build, and are often considered to be more biologically weaker. They are often not equipped with the necessary training and preparation to protect themselves.
Still, negative stereotypes persist that men must protect women. Or that women look to others for their safety, rather than protecting them. Today, more women are learning how to protect themselves and changing their propensity to be attacked.
2: How can you teach, practice, and use good situational awareness to protect yourself?
BA: Good situational awareness is:
You must be aware of everything around you, and identify exits and escape routes. This allows you to remove yourself from a conflict or someone or something that is making you uncomfortable.Parking where there’s the most light after dark.Avoiding people dressed strangely, such as with layers of clothing or a heavy jacket in warm weather; andNoticing people’s hands. Someone who is preparing to remove a weapon from his clothing might have his hands in his pockets, fidget with his hands in a bag, or reach his hands around his back. To alert others, shout loudly or scream. Can I trust my intuition or can it be questioned?
BA: You can. And you should. The Gift of Fear: and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence by Gavin de Becker is a book that explains why women feel uneasy before experiencing an attack. This book will help you recognize survival signals your body already experiences. These signals are instinctual and come from our genes. A feeling of being in a bad place is another signal to be aware of.
De Becker refers to this as the gift or fear of intuition. Fear does not have to be a negative thing. You may have noticed, heard, or felt a micro-gesture in your eyes, such as a person’s voice becoming louder, quieter, or more serious. This alerts you to danger. De Becker’s book helps people trust their feelings of fear and to remove themselves from any imminent danger. De Becker states that almost all interviewees say, “Just before an attack or danger presented itself, it was very uncomfortable.”
4: Can I be allowed to say “No” and can I be rude?
BA: Women, especially those from the South, learn early on to be kind, accommodating, and sometimes extravagant with hospitality. If, for example, you are filling up your car at a gas station and someone approaches you, you feel a gut feeling that tells you that something is wrong. You can’t let this stranger into your space. Yell. Do not be embarrassed by embarrassing someone else.
Do not be afraid to say “No”, “Don’t come any nearer,” “Stay far away from me” or shout loudly. 5: Can I use a firearm as personal protection?
BA: Yes. I would love to see responsible Americans of all backgrounds and genders use their Second Amendment rights to defend themselves and their families with firearms. Many women feel that learning how to use a firearm can be scary or too difficult. They have been warned that attackers could take their firearms and use them to harm them. More than 7 million gun owners have bought firearms since the COVID-19 outbreak, with 40% of them being women. You must learn how to use a firearm, practice using it, and know when to stop using it. You must make a personal promise that you will be responsible gun owner, but live your life as if the gun is not there. Your gun should never be used as a last resort.
6: Other than firearms, what tools are useful for self protection?
BA: A tactical flashlight is one of my favorite products. It’s made of tough material that won’t crack or break. A tactical flashlight can not only produce light but also serve as a blunt tool to protect you. Some tactical flashlights can produce 500 lumens, which is a very bright light that can temporarily blind an attacker. Personally, I prefer a flashlight that has a strobe feature. People with disabilities and children can carry tactical flashlights. Many are smaller than ballpoint pens. You can also use your flashlight for finding the key to your car, peering into your car’s back, and looking under your car.
Beth Alcazar loves a tactical flashlight for self defense. It serves many purposes, including women safety.7: Is it possible to use martial arts for self defense?
BA: Yes There are many self-defense and martial arts classes offered all over the country. I took an Aikido course along with my husband. It taught me how to use joints, locks and pressure points to disarm an attacker. Also, how to use an attacker’s body against him.
Krav Maga is another popular self-defense technique. It was developed for the Israel Defense Forces and combines techniques from aikido and judo with wrestling and karate. It focuses on real-world situations. You learn how to escape from an attacker. You can find many YouTube videos on martial arts.
Today, more women are learning how to defend themselves and changing their propensity to be attacked. Beth Alcazar believes that women should take their safety into their own hands and learn how to protect themselves.
BA: Home invasions are on the rise. However, it is possible to make your home safer by spending a little bit of time and money. Many people mistakenly believe that if we are home, we are safe and secure. FBI statistics show that burglars enter homes through the front door 34% of the times, go through the screen door or back door 20% of the times, and enter through a window on the first floor 23% of the total time.
Alarms and monitoring devices can be very effective in stopping home intruders. You can make it more difficult for intruders to get in your home by replacing the small screws in your strike plate with 3-inch screws. You can also buy bar stops and plastic window treatment that dramatically increase the strength of your first floor windows. Glass break sensors can be installed to alert you when broken windows are detected. Lock your doors and windows. You should have a safe place in your home.9: How can you travel safe?
BA: You need to know how safe you can be in unfamiliar areas and motel rooms if you travel the country as much as I do. Always keep a copy of your itinerary, the routes you will take, where you’ll be staying, and any appointments you have. Make sure to include times and places, and when you are expected to return home.
Alcazar says, “If you travel often, like I do, you need safety in unfamiliar places and hotel rooms.” You can purchase inexpensive door jamming devices (aka security doors stoppers) that will prevent motel doors opening. I always check the laws regarding firearms, concealed and open carrying, and any other self defense tools before I travel to any city. I have worked in Wisconsin, which is a state that doesn’t have reciprocal laws with Alabama regarding firearms. Because Utah and Wisconsin have the same laws, I was able to obtain a concealed-carry permit. I adhere to the laws of the state I’m visiting, but I have the freedom to choose the personal-protection tools that I want. Some states prohibit the carrying of knives with a certain style or length, or pepper spray containers.
10: What role does technology play in keeping us safe?
BA: These tools are useful for information and navigation, but they can also be used to help others locate you if you leave tracks on social media. Do not say “Hey! You shouldn’t say, “Hey! This way, no one will know where you are. Never reveal the names of your children, or their schools. One of my college roommates posted a picture on social media of her bulletin board, forgetting that it had her Social Security Number taped to it. All her accounts were hacked.
Alcazar reminds women to use their cell phones and computers for information and navigation. Alcazar reminds women that cell phones and computers are useful for information and navigation. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Call 1-800-284-5668 or email [email protected]
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