ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION, RECOGNITION OF DANGER SIGNS, STRATEGIES FOR COMMON SENSE AND INSTINCTIVE SAFETY, VERBAL DEFENSE, AND PHYSICAL SELF-DEFENSE SKILLS…”NOT ME!”
“Me too” sounds much like a positive request that we hear from kids all the time. It evokes childhood memories and the desire to share in something good. However, these days, this statement has a meaning that is something quite different. It is the core of a viral campaign to raise awareness about sexual abuse and assault.
Every year, thousands upon thousands of people are sexually assaulted. Tarana Burke, founder of the “Me Too” movement, public speaker, and community organizer in New York started her efforts to raise awareness over ten years ago. The increasing comments regarding assaults and harassment of women by Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, accelerated the “Me Too” movement this week. During the week of October 16, 2017, the two-word hashtag was mentioned on Facebook more than 1.7 million times in news, commentary, and admissions by victims of assault from all walks of life.
The statistics are staggering and here are just some of them:
- THREE – the number of women murdered every day in the U.S. by a current or former male partner.
- Every minute of the day, 20 people are victims of intimate partner violence.
- One in four: the number of women who will be victims of severe violence in their lifetime.
- A woman is beaten every nine seconds in the U.S.
- 25% – the percentage of physical assaults that are perpetrated against women that are reported to the police annually.
“One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.” – Nelson Mandela
Admission – “Me Too” and discussion are necessary to the healing process for those who have been victimized and are alive and able to tell of it. There is another two-word phrase; “Not Me”. It is equally ambiguous. Most often, we see and hear it from those who believe that nothing will happen to them. I have personally heard “Nothing ever happens where I live”. But I am quick to remind that the reality cannot be farther from the truth. The statistics are not exclusive of any community. They are nearly exactly the same on a college campus as they are anywhere else in the United States.
If things are truly to change, the denial voiced in “Not Me” MUST become an emphatic battle-cry of the very same two words “NOT ME!” Assertive communication, recognition of danger signs, strategies for common sense and instinctive safety, verbal defense, and physical self-defense skills are necessary to improve the “Me Too” condition.
Let’s face it, in this World, danger can lurk around any corner. Knowing where, when, and how to defend one’s self is critically important. Recognizing that there will always be walking in dark places is a first step. Knowing how to present yourself and to avoid problems from strangers is necessary. Even more necessary is the awareness that assaults are often perpetrated by someone we know. Keeping three simple safety principles in mind can keep you safe from harm.
- Avoid dangerous people and dangerous places.
- Do not defend your property – Save yourself. Nothing is as important as you are.
- Respond immediately to an advancing threat and escape.
Whether the matter at-hand is bully prevention, street self defense, or application of business-related strategies for safe schools, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, or business owners, the underlying principles are generally the same. The true solution lies in “NOT ME” defining the self-confidence that is assured by being prepared. When “ME TOO” becomes an affirmation of readiness to join that same preparedness, the World and statistics will change in our favor.
