Safety Tips for Single Women

Single women should always aware of their surroundings and know what safety precautions are appropriate to a given situation. Use common sense, and listen to your instincts if something feels uncomfortable. Don’t enter elevators or stairwells if you see a person who seems strange. Cross the street to avoid someone who seems a little “off.” Inform your family and friends when you’ll be out of town, so they won’t be clueless if something happens to you.

Home Security

• Keep windows and doors locked when you are out or not in that part of the house. Change locks when you move into a new dwelling. When you go out, leave the radio on just loud enough to hear from outside. Consider installing an alarm system, and a peephole in your front door. Use the chain on your door; never open your door wide to people you don’t recognize until you have verified their identity. Get to know at least one neighbor, and exchange phone numbers and keys.

Driving

• Lock all car doors when driving. Roll up windows too if you are driving at night. Keep a flashlight, container of pepper spray and charged cell phone in the car. Learn how to use the pepper spray before you need it; it can disable you as well as an attacker if you don’t use it correctly. Ask a friend or associate to walk or drive you to your car at night and to wait until you are safely inside and have started your engine before they leave. Consider purchasing a GPS navigator to avoid getting lost at night.

Out at Night

• Never accept drinks from strangers at a bar, never leave your drink unattended, never go to bars alone, and never leave a bar with someone you just met. Follow safety procedures if you must be out late at night, and be hyper-conscious of your surroundings. Stay in lighted areas, be aware of escape routes, and always have your car or house key ready; don’t be caught fumbling for keys in your bag.

Outdoor Fitness

• Take a friend along when you go biking, walking or hiking in isolated locations or if few people are around. Carry a small container of pepper spray on your keychain. Consider taking a course in self-defense or enrolling in a martial-arts class to build your skills and self-confidence. Remember that in most cases, the best self-defense is exercising your good judgment.

Stalking Precautions

• Most stalkers are men who stalk women they know. Take precautions, such as having an unlisted phone number and removing the part of your name that identifies you as female off mailboxes or apartment directories. Close curtains at night. Limit personal or identifying information on social networking sites or blogs. Tell friends if an ex-husband or boyfriend shows an unwillingness to move on with his life, or if he has been violent in the past. If you are being stalked, call the police.