Recently I received this e-mail from one of my beautiful friends, it was posted on Activerain in December, 2006.  Condensed version here!

 I urge you to take the time and read this, if I were attacked before reading this I would have made a few mistakes. 

This information was provided by rapists and date rapists currently in prison. How, what and why they pick their victims.

• Hairstyle- Woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed.  Rapist are likely to go after a woman with long hair.  Women with short hair are not common targets.  Still be careful!

• Clothing-They will look for women whose clothing is easy to remove quickly, they are smart they carry scissors. 

• Cell-phones- They look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.

• Mornings- Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5:00a.m. and 8:30a.m. 
  

• Location-They look to grab a woman and move her to another location where they don't worry about being caught.

• Weapons-Only 2% carry weapons, rape carries 3-5 years but rape with a weapon 15-20.
• Fight-If you fight at all, they get discouraged, why, it's time consuming.
• Scream-Don't cry for help, yell FIRE! 
• Umbrellas and similar objects-Be careful they will use these weapons against you!

  Getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:

• Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
• If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
• Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back where you are coming from.
• We are too sympathetic: STOP! Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of women. He walked with a cane, and often asked "for help."

  Great Advice.... Please Listen and Pay attention:

• If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage, elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and small talk, "what time is it?" or make general small talk: Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up.
• If someone is coming toward you , hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK! 
• If you carry pepper spray, yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
• If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can be smarter. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. 
• Someone used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. 
• After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause trouble.
• If a guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible.
• Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. Use it!
• If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM . Toss it away from you....chances are that he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
• If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. 
• Women have a tendency to get into their cars after completing errands and just sit doing something else,  DON'T DO THIS!  The predator could be watching you. When you GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
• If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and hit something that would wreck the car. Your Air Bag will save you. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. 

Please feel free to add to this list....we can never play it too safe.......