Self Defense Weapons for Women

Whether walking to your car after a long day at work, shopping at the local mall, or crossing campus to your dorm, women are relying more on self-defense weapons. The National Organization for Women states, "Despite the fact that advocacy groups like NOW have worked for two decades to halt the epidemic of gender-based violence and sexual assault, the numbers are still shocking," and they pledge to work to end violence. Carrying self-defense weapons can help in a situation where a woman is being threatened.

Pepper Spray

• Spraying your attacker with pepper spray is highly effective. Pepper spray is an irritating blend of cayenne and other hot peppers. When sprayed at an attacker it causes the skin to burn and both the eyes and nose to involuntarily shut, burn, tear and swell. Pepper spray is highly effective in rendering the attacker helpless so that you can escape and get help.

  Make sure you are familiar with your canister of pepper spray before you need to use it. Spray directly into your attacker's eyes from outside his grabbing distance and with the wind at your back. Continue to spray two to three second bursts until your assailant is subdued.

Mace

• Use Mace, a chemical tear gas, in a similar way to pepper spray. Made up of chemicals, Mace has a tendency to dissipate into the air, so it is not as effective in some situations. It is also not effective on animals. Spray the chemical directly into the attackers face for best results.

  Immobilizing your attacker with a stun gun can enable escape. A stun gun is an electrical self-defense weapon that utilizes high voltage to stop an attacker. Coming in contact with the gun renders the assailant helpless but leaves him permanently unharmed.

Stun Gun

• Immobilizing your attacker with a stun gun can enable escape. A stun gun is an electrical self-defense weapon that utilizes high voltage to stop an attacker. Coming in contact with the gun renders the assailant helpless, but leaves him permanently unharmed.

  Have your stun gun out or accessible when in any situation that warrants worry. The best points of contact for maximum effect are the upper hip, below the rib cage or the upper shoulders. Contact of three seconds will render most attackers incapacitated and allow you to flee.

Taser

• While a stun gun must make physical contact with your attacker, a Taser will work from up to 15 feet away. A special nitrogen gas cartridge enables the Taser to shoot a pair of barbed projectiles at your attacker.

  Point the Taser at your assailant's chest and fire a five-second burst before he can get too close to you. The wires that attach the projectiles send up to a 50,000-volt shock through the assailant, causing involuntary muscle spasms and rendering him incapacitated.

Personal Alarm

• Setting off a high, ear-piercing 120+ decibel personal alarm is not going to render an assailant already attacking you helpless. However, if you blast the loud signal prior to the person closing in on you, it is going to make them think twice about attacking, while signaling anyone in the area for help.