Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
My mom and I had a discussion about this recently, all the things my sister and I do as young women that are just second nature for us but look like "paranoia" to my dad. I don't even live in a bad or even iffy neighborhood and prefer to take my dog (who is protection trained/competition) with me if I'm going to the corner store. Walk with purpose, always have your keys out as you leave the store/restaurant, take note of those around you, make cops show you their badge and call it in to double check (had some predators impersonating cops), etc....those things are just drilled into us such that it becomes second nature. I do not consider myself a paranoid or particularly vulnerable person (at least I don't *feel* that way). I am not comfortable with guns and mace or pepper spray can literally backfire into your own face so if it really is my responsibility to keep myself safe from sexual predators then such predators are free to meet with my dog I never like to totally write off the other sex but this is one of those things where nothing a man can say about it really matters to me, they will never understand. It's not their fault, but that's just how it is.
I really has nothing to do with how you dress. All young women deal with this crap; all of us think about it. I dress very conservatively because of my job and my hobbies. They do not require or permit skimpy shorts or revealing tops. I don't have time to party or go clubbing, so I don't really fall into that group that is so often blamed even when they are victims, and yet I've still had to file a police report about someone's inappropriate behavior toward me.
I really has nothing to do with how you dress. All young women deal with this crap; all of us think about it. I dress very conservatively because of my job and my hobbies. They do not require or permit skimpy shorts or revealing tops. I don't have time to party or go clubbing, so I don't really fall into that group that is so often blamed even when they are victims, and yet I've still had to file a police report about someone's inappropriate behavior toward me.