We live in unsafe times. Can your daughter defend herself against an attack?
Self Defence
Have you ever thought of enrolling your daughter in a self-defence class? Not only is it great exercise, but this knowledge may also save her life some day. The percentage of women in India who can defend themselves in case of an attack is dismally small, although crime against women is constantly on the rise. Your daughter doesn't need to be a karate champion to ward off an attacker; even a few basic moves can help. Remember, assailants are rarely trained to fight. They are simply relying on the belief that women are weaker than they are by virtue of their sex. A few smart moves can give your daughter an advantage.
Pepper Spray
Invest in a bottle of pepper spray, and let your daughter carry it around in her bag. The only problem is that the spray is bulky, and it may not fit into smaller evening bags. As a result, she may not have it on her at the time she needs it the most. However, encourage her to carry it around as far as possible. Spraying an assailant with pepper spray renders him helpless for at least a couple of minutes, during which time your daughter can make a quick getaway.
Cell Phone
Give your daughter a cell phone. Don't think that by doing so you may be spoiling her. Instead, realise that when your daughter has a cell phone, it will always be easy for you to track her down. If she is on the way back from somewhere and her car gets stranded in the dark, she can lock the doors and call you, while she waits inside. Help will always be just a phone call away.
Intuition
Tell your daughter to always follow her intuition. There may often be times when your daughter feels a slight apprehension when speaking to someone, but she ignores the feeling because she doesn't want to appear rude. If you have to instil one thought in your daughter, let it be this: It's better to be rude than raped or dead. If someone she is speaking to makes her feel even a little uncomfortable, tell her that she should feel free to simply excuse herself and walk away.
Main Door
She should never open the door to a stranger. When delivery boys come home, under no circumstances should she let them in, or leave the door open when going to get change. She must always, always shut the door, even if it seems rude.
One of the smartest things you can do is to have a double door - so you need never open the second door to someone you don't know. If it is the postman, delivery boy or anyone else, your daughter can just open the inner door and accept any packages through the openings in the second door. Let the second door have large enough openings for packages to get through, and so your child can have a conversation through the grills without feeling compelled to open the door.
