Sexual Assault

As I was surfing the net, I came across this blog posting on Dreams & Reality.

It is about sexual predators, those "sick in the head" people who prey after women whether young or old. They may not go to the extend of rape but they thrive on sexual harassment or sexual assault, sometimes a slight grey area that is not so easily caught.

Some of their acts - Flasher (flashing of their genitals), they sit near you on the bus/train, they pressed themselves against you in crowded places, fondling - they accidentally touch your legs, breast, buttocks, verbal assault, incest and also sexual harassment at work. Worst is that these people likely will prey on kids, young teenagers who are not aware of what's wrong or what's right.

I do have a personal experience to share. I was very young, probably just 10 years old and I was taking public transportation to school in my hometown. Those times, it is very common to be taking public transportation to school at a young age, unlike now. I still remember I was sitting beside this big burly Indian man. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw that he has taken his dick out from his pants and was massaging it. It was a long time ago and I was very young but I was so ignorant that all I thought of was "poor guy - he must be sick (ill), his pee pee is injured and he is examining it." . I just remember that. I got off the bus after and it never made an impression on me after and I did not tell anyone. I just did not know better.

Now that I recall back, obviously that was a sick man, and this time I mean "psycho sick", "asshole" sick, "should be put in jail" kinda of sick. I really wonder why these men exists, what is going through their psychotic brains. Whatever it is, I feel we just need to protect ourselves, protect our children.

Some tips of what to do :-

1) Trust your Instincts

Firstly, we must know what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes sexual harassment feels a bit in the grey area (especially when it is a friend) but we must follow our instincts. If we don't feel comfortable, we must voice out. We must stop it and do not allow it to continue. Eg. A friend was on a plane and the guy beside her (smartly dressed, articulate and seemed like a perfect gentleman), he started a conversation with her. As the conversation progressed, he started to sit closer and closer to her. She started to feel uncomfortable, decided not to talk anymore and she began reading a magazine. This guy did not stop, continue to lean closer and closer to her brushing on her arms. At first, she was too shy to do anything but she really felt uncomfortable and she voiced out, told him to stop, if not she would inform the stewardess. He stopped but yet still had the nerve to ask for her number!

2) Be aware & Educate yourself

We need to be alert always and ensure we do not put ourselves in a vulnerable position. Educate ourselves with the knowledge on where these people usually attack. For eg. when jogging in the park, in crowded places especially in trains and buses, person who sits beside you in public places, beware of your drinks when you go clubbing, staying late night in the office, going to a quiet car park alone etc - these are all potential areas where the sexual predator may strike.

3) Educate our children

I believe that sex education is important to today's children. Television and the Internet are such major influencers in their life from young. As parents, we must teach them what is wrong and what is right and how to protect themselves.

4) Stand up and Voice Out

Do not be a silent victim. Do not feel shy or embarrassed. I think sometimes, we feel too embarrassed to voice out especially when you are in a public place. You pretend that it is ok and hope that it will go away, you tell yourself maybe you are imagining it etc. No, we cannot keep silence. If we feel violated, we must voice out.