Rape Escape Options
Rape Prevention

Countless rape victims throughout history would've escaped if they'd known these rape escape options.

"It's so difficult to give general advice of what to do in a rapist attack. Depending on the personality of the rapist, either going along or trying to talk your way out of being assaulted may be the best course of action – or it may make things worse. Resisting or struggling with the so-called Power Reassurance rapist might stop him in his tracks. Resisting the Danger Excitation rapist – unless the victim is strong enough or quick enough to get away – could get a victim killed. Trying to make the act seem pleasurable because the rapist is sexually inadequate isn't necessarily the best strategy. These are crimes of anger and hostility and the assertion of power. Sex is only incidental."
– John Douglas, retired FBI expert on rapist/serial killers, and author of "The Anatomy of Motive."

It's true that there’s no one answer for all rape escape situations, but keep in mind that John Douglas primarily handled the most heinous cases. The vast majority of rapists are much more mundane.

Furthermore, women are far more capable of effective rape escape than our culture and media have led them to believe.

"Women have almost always fought side by side with men in guerilla or revolutionary wars, and there isn't any evidence they are significantly worse at killing people.
Excerpted from “On Killing” by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

"The big hulk who tears his victim's clothes off and causes all this damage and brutalizes her and things like that – that's the perception of the rapist by the woman who has never been raped. He's the guy who comes with a knife and knocks her down and beats her. That's what we see in movies, TV, and literature. When, in fact, the majority of rapists are just the opposite. They're really mostly very wimpy, geeky guys, very inadequate Casper Milquetoast-type guys."
– FBI-trained Chicago police officer interviewed in Connie Fletcher's "What Cops Know."

Fighting back might get you killed, but surrendering might get you killed, too. A victim can never be sure if a rapist intends "only" to rape her without further harming or even killing her afterward. If a rapist does become violent with a submissive victim, the escalation is usually sudden and explosive. Besides, most women effectively implement rape escape strategies without being raped.

Portland OR - A nurse returning from work discovered an intruder armed with a hammer in her home and strangled him with her bare hands, police said. Susan Kuhnhausen, 51, ran to a neighbor's house after the confrontation. Police found the body of Edward Dalton Haffey 59, a convicted felon with a long police record. Haffey had convictions including conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, robbery, drug charges and possession of burglary tools.
Excerpted from The Associated Press – 08 September 2006

In a 20-year study from 1973 to 1992, the National Crime Victimization Survey found that women took protective rape escape measures in roughly 80 percent of rape attacks. This included anything from screaming, threatening, or attacking the criminal. This was helpful in 60 percent of the attacks, harmful in 7 percent, and made no difference in 11 percent.

In 6 percent, the attacker became more angry and aggressive, but still the victim avoided injury or greater injury. 47 percent of rape victims sustain injuries other than rape injuries. (And remember, none of these women were likely familiar with the rape escape Fighting Options or Ultimate Rape Prevention.)

A Brandeis University study found that, in unarmed attacks, the women most apt to be raped or harmed are those who do not fight back for rape escape, relying instead on begging or reasoning with their attackers.

Regardless of all the rape escape statistics, a victim's intuitive decision to resist or submit must be based solely upon her perception of her circumstances and odds of survival. Surrender is not shameful – survival is the ultimate goal. Listen to your Intuition whether to counter-attack. If you do decide to fight, make your first rape escape move as powerful as possible.

A woman walking her dog was attacked by a man in New York City’s Central Park. Attack Victim: "He grabbed me like this, and flipped me around, and I land over there on my knees, and that's when he exposed himself." He had partially pulled down her pants when she fought him off once and for all. Attack Victim: "I have enough strength now to give him that final kick, and I just kick him, and he - he falls back. I really, really kicked him hard." She escaped before he recovered.
Excerpted from WABC-TV7 New York City – 18 May 2004

A woman who fights back for rape escape is less likely to be raped or otherwise harmed – though there are, of course, no guarantees. The first few moments of an attack are the most decisive, and the best strategy is an all-out attack on his most vulnerable targets (eyes, testicles, and throat). See Clinch-Attack in Fighting Strategies. Fight only with the will to win. See Willpower.

Christopher Stanley was arrested for assaulting a woman as she was jogging. The offender implied he had a knife and threatened to cut her throat if she made any noise. While the two struggled, he attempted to pull down his own pants and hers. He also punched her in the face. The woman screamed and the offender fled.
Excerpted from The Pioneer Press/Evanston Review (IL) – 04 December 2003

Ellen Snortland, a women's self-defense instructor and author of "Beauty Bites Beast" writes that women who do fight back are usually amazed at how simple it was to get the assailant to stop once she put up any resistance at all. Women frequently report that they only had to strike once. But just in case he's more determined, you should continue attacking him ferociously until he’s unable to chase you as you escape to a safe haven.

She highly recommends “Her Wits About Her: Self-defense Success Stories by Women,” by Denise Caignon and Gail Grove. The inspiring success stories are of ordinary women stopping attempted rape.

The Belmont Shore rapist was known for jimmying his way into more than 30 women's homes. In the latest attack, the man crawled through a bedroom window and awoke the woman. A struggle ensued and she bit him on the hand. The attacker fled.
Excerpted from The New York Times – 12 November 2002

She awoke to the pressure of a large man’s hand covering her nose and mouth. The man was moving with a “military precision.” The pressure he applied to her face was so rough that it caused her nose to bleed. With his other hand, he groped for her body in the bed. … “It was horrifyingly shocking,” the woman recalled. “It was so violent that I thought he was going to kill me. I wasn’t really thinking about rape. I was fearing for my life.” … The woman struggled with her attacker. He was holding her to the bed, but she jerked her face under his hand so her teeth could reach his wrist beyond his black glove. Then she bit as hard as she could. The bite forced the man to draw his hand from her face. Then she screamed, and that sent the man fleeing.
Excerpted from The New Mexican – 22 June 2007

Most rapists rely on physical force or verbal threat. Roughly seven percent of acquaintance rapists and thirty percent of stranger rapists use a weapon to intimidate the victim. An armed rapist oftentimes lays aside his weapon during a rape, at which point you may choose to attack him for rape escape. If so, immobilize the weapon while attacking him or use his weapon to attack him.

The victim was seated at a bus stop when Melrolando Warren approached, drew a handgun and ordered the victim into a nearby alley. He warned her not to scream and claimed to have shot one person earlier that day. ... At one point during the attack, the victim saw the gun lying on the ground, snatched it, pointed it at Warren and testified that she pulled the trigger "a thousand times," said the prosecutor. The handgun did not fire, though, possibly because the safety was engaged. After a struggle, Warren regained control of the weapon, concluded the assault and then fled.
Excerpted from The Oakland Tribune (CA) – 05 September 2003

A rapist or abductor will unlikely call attention to himself by firing a gun in a populated area. See Kidnapping, Kidnap Survival, Fighting Options, and Outsmarting A Rapist in Outsmarting for effective rape escape.

Ricky Eddie Nealy, known to police as a "violent rapist with an uncontrollable temper," grabbed a woman as she left a party, dragged her into a nearby field, threatened to kill her and at knifepoint ordered her to strip. Holding the knife to the victim's throat, Nealy then raped and sexually assaulted the woman. While the woman was being choked, she was able to scratch Nealy's face, grab his scrotum and have him release his grip long enough for her to escape.
Excerpted from The Fresno Bee (CA) – 03 April 2004

The victim was taking a shower when she heard what she thought was the front door closing and smelled paint thinner. When she walked out of her bathroom in a robe, she was nearly face to face with a man who was wearing a ski mask, gloves, a black-hooded sweatshirt and black pants. ... He hit her in the face then shoved a rag soaked with paint thinner into her mouth and straddled her, trying to pry her legs apart with his own. ... She fought back, managing to get the rag out of her mouth and scream. He ran for the door, but fumbled with the lock with his gloved hand. The woman ran up and punched him in the face, yelling at him. He punched her face and ribs and she eventually was able to get to the door and open it for him.
Excerpted from The Daily Breeze (CA) – 15 March 2005

Rosia Lee Ellis, is a 5-foot-tall, 112-year-old [yes, 112] Detroit woman. When a 6-foot-tall home invader confronted her, she grabbed his crotch and held on tightly even though he threw her to the floor. Neighbors heard the commotion and frightened him away.
Excerpted from "Beauty Bites Beast" by Ellen Snortland.

She could have been a rape victim. Instead, a woman who was attacked fought back. Hard. The 23-year-old university student repeatedly stabbed her assailant with a penknife and then ran from the scene. The assailant died of his wounds. The would-be rape victim had apparently punctured his heart.
Excerpted from The Prague Post (Czech Republic) – 22 July 2004

Don't turn your back on anyone you don’t trust – that invites an attack you won’t see coming. If he begins to approach you, take an aggressive stance, put one hand in a pocket as though you have a weapon ready, raise your other hand in a “STOP!” gesture, and fiercely command him to "Stay away from me!"

Better yet for rape escape, also hold pepper spray and a noisemaker visible and at the ready. See Pepper Spray & Devices.

If he keeps moving toward you – that's your early-warning-sign that he's probably a predator – either flee or activate your noisemaker and use your pepper spray.

What are a victim's rape escape options when suddenly threatened by a predator? "Fight or flight” are the two most well known. Martial arts' theory usually adds surrender to the mix. I’ve added two more: outsmart and posture, and aligned them all with FBI victim guidelines (and also clarified their clunky terminology):

1. Posturing: presenting yourself as a tough target (predators prefer easy prey). If that doesn’t work:
2. Fleeing the most obvious choice, might not be possible. If not:
3. Outsmarting: by verbally defusing a confrontation and maneuvering toward escape. If that doesn’t work:
4. Surrendering and hoping for the best; or preferably as a prelude to an escape, perhaps aided by:
5. Fighting like a mad dog to enable your escape. Stun & run. See Optimal Mindset.

It’s impossible to fully anticipate the panicky chaos of a sudden threat forcing you to make split-second life-and-death decisions. Nonetheless, understanding your options now will help your Intuition choose an option then.

Enhancing Your Options
Pepper Spray & a Noisemaker visibly ready will greatly enhance your first option – Posturing as a tough target – and probably deter a predator immediately. Your fifth option – Fighting – is enhanced as well.

For convenience, learn self-defense online:

KRAV MAGA, a practical self-defense system used by many police forces worldwide, teaches you to defend yourself, enhances your survival instinct, and can be applied under extreme stress. It's not flashy, just very effective. I highly recommend it. The Krav Maga TV - Online Training videos are especially convenient to learn at home when your schedule allows or if you don't live near a training center.

Rape Escape Options:
• Rape Escape Options - Overview of options you never knew you had.
• Rapist Types: empowering insights into the minds of rapists.
• Rape Prevention (YOU’RE NOW ON THIS PAGE): confronting a predator effectively.
• Ultimate Rape Prevention: options for disabling a rapist’s tool of crime for true poetic justice.
• Rape Survivors: counseling needs for rape survivors and her loved ones.
• Choosing a Self-Defense Class to prevent rape and help a rape survivor regain control of her life.
• Recap of Rape Escape Options.
• Fighting Options
• Pepper Spray & Devices

Also see Women’s Safety and Date Rape.

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Rape Escape Options - Overview
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