The world has gotten smaller and noisier. The immediate access we have to information about what is happening not just on the next block but across the ocean has changed how we view so many things. Take sexual assault against women for example. Is there more assault actually occurring in 2019 or is it that we are talking about it and hearing about it more? The data I could find for Muskogee indicates that really the number of assaults hasn’t changed much in the last 20 years (city data.com). Even one assault is too many.
In case you need further convincing, a few more statistics: One in five women will be raped at some point in their life and one in three women has experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. And, 51.1 percent of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8 percent by an acquaintance (RAINN). These statistics just reflect the crimes we know about.
The #metoo movement has certainly made it “okay” in a way it wasn’t before to report and talk about assault against women. Along with this permission to speak comes a certain responsibility to also become knowledgeable about protecting ourselves.
The best defense is a good offense. The best offense in this context is preventing a violent confrontation from every happening. My momma used to say, “If your gut says something isn’t right, listen to it.” I first heard the phrase “situational awareness” in a workshop for teachers on responding to shootings. Being aware of your environment and the people around you is super important. I know I’m bad about leaving the grocery store, already my mind is home unpacking the groceries, and I’m not thinking about what’s going on around me, we need to change that mindset. Wherever I go now, I think about where are the exits. That same caution needs to be taken about our surroundings whenever we are walking to or from cars and buildings. A group called “Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network” (RAINN) publishes some suggestions for what to do if you see someone else in jeopardy. The acronym is CARE. It is to Create a distraction and see if you can just interrupt what is happening. Ask them directly if they need help, maybe someone to drive them home. Refer to someone in authority, look for a guard or police. Finally, Enlist others to help you; safety in numbers is still a good rule.
We can live with our heads in the sand bemoaning the fact that we need to defend ourselves or we can “put on our big girl panties” and get busy figuring it out. Thanks to our wonderful Muskogee police officers for making this opportunity available again and for all they do every day to protect us.
Wren Stratton is a longtime resident and former mayor of Muskogee.
