What you can do to be safer from violence 309
If someone is coming toward you and you think they may hurt you, try this:
STOP! Don’t
come any closer!
Many times this action is enough to make the person go away.
He will think you will be too much trouble to try to take advantage of.
If he keeps coming closer, scream for help.
Attackers usually pick people who look easy to hurt. And a
disabled woman, no matter what disability she has, can look
especially easy, particularly if she looks as though she is lost or does
not know where she is. So acting in an assertive way with a lot of
self-confidence is just as important as knowing what to do physically.
Being assertive is often a woman’s best protection. When a woman
is assertive, she moves, speaks, and acts as if she has a right to be
This woman looks
wherever she is. She acts confidently and carries herself like a strong, confident and assertive.
proud woman. For information on self-esteem, see pages 62 to 65.
What to do if you are attacked
If a woman resists someone who tries to hurt her, she is often able to avoid rape.
Some people think that trying to stop rape will make an attacker more angry. But an
attacker is already dangerous. Resisting rape may allow you to get away, because it
can show an attacker that trying to rape you will be too much trouble.
It is impossible to know how you will react if someone tries to rape you.
Some women are filled with anger and feel strength they did not know they
had. Others feel like they cannot move. But remember, if you are raped, it is
not because you failed to defend yourself. Rape is never your fault.
If someone attacks you or tries to rape you, do whatever you can to get away:
• Do something he finds disgusting, such as drool or spit.
• Hurt the soft parts of his body such as his eyes, nose, or testicles (balls) by
scratching, hitting, or kicking him.
• Roll your wheelchair into the person as hard and fast as you can.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007