Survival Strategies for a Non-Stranger Attack

“The Jiu Jitsu I created was designed to give the weak ones a chance to face the heavy and strong.” - Helio Gracie

Up to this point, the non-stranger (i.e. friend, family member, or coworker) has been using manipulative means, rather than physical violence, to get us to the place where they will carry out the attack. Maybe they have been crossing boundaries and creating opportunities to get us alone. The Predator may now try to leverage this false intimacy of the relationship in order to carry out the sexual assault. They might try to use alcohol to lower our defenses. They may also try to make you feel guilty, saying that “you lead them on”. At this point the predator may now use violence to force what they want. Unlike a stranger who typically uses extreme violence, a non-stranger will use an amount of violence that meets the level of resistance from the target. 

No matter what has happened leading up to this point, it is NEVER too late to establish a boundary. We are never obligated to engage in a sexual act with anyone. This includes people you are casually dating, boyfriends, and husbands. You have every right to resist. At this point, we can use the techniques we have learned in the Women Empowered program to stay safe and escape from, or incapacitate, the predator.