With the Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington cases having a connection and hitting so close to home, it is important to stay informed about how to protect yourself and your friends if this type of situation arises.

This issue doesn’t pertain just to women; young men are also at risk. Everyone should know how to protect themselves.

Anyone could be assaulted or kidnapped, and just because you’ve lived in a certain area for a long time and know it well doesn’t mean that you aren’t at risk.

The first step in preventing an attack is to never walk alone. The buddy system is your buddy. No matter the circumstances, it is always a good idea to have one or two friends around to prevent each other from getting into any bad situations and to make sure no one gets lost on the way home.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are alone, “everybody has a cell phone these days,” Albemarle County School Resource Officer Angela Jamerson said. “Call your friends and let them know where you’re at and have somebody stay on the phone with you, so that somebody else knows where you’re going and what’s going on.”

In the event that you are alone and are suspicious of someone following you, the best thing to do is draw a lot of attention to yourself if you can’t get to a very public space.

“Start screaming, hollering, make a scene, make a fool of yourself, because the person that you think may be trying to do something to you, that will deter them because they don’t want to be easily recognized,” Jamerson said.

There are certain circumstances that these tactics won’t drive away a potential attacker; maybe there is no one around to hear, maybe your cell phone died, or maybe you didn’t realize you were being targeted, and that’s where being prepared with knowledge of self defense would help.

“You never know what you’re going to encounter. It’s always better to be prepared than to wish you has done something after the fact,” Jamerson said.

“By the letter of the law, self defense is defined as using the amount of force to get yourself out of a situation where someone has put their hands on you and is trying to force you to do something or go somewhere, so whatever you deem necessary, but nothing more once you have gotten out and run away.”

Senior Anne Schmidt has trained in self defense since she was eleven and has been teaching classes at the Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club for three years. She agrees that the best way to stay out of this situation is to use the buddy system, but “it’s important to know how to defend yourself because you don’t want to be a victim, that’s the biggest reason. It’s painful for the family and for you. If you don’t have to be in that situation then don’t be.”

Up until the attacker lays their hands on you or points a gun or knife at you, then your life hasn’t been in immediate danger. If they start to come toward you then there are a few more precautions you can take before you start to injure them with your own body.

Carrying your keys between your fingers is the simplest tactic, and with enough force you could stab the person with your keys and run away. Having pepper spray ready to use will also prevent the attacker from coming closer.

If and when the attacker puts their hands on you is when knowledge of self-defense would come in.

According to Schmidt, “you have to find pressure points on the body: neck, elbow, shins, nose, and feet. There are really no rules when you’re trying to get away, and you can panic all you want.”

A few moves will help to distance you from an attacker of any size. But if they are taller than you, starting low is better if you can’t reach their neck or face easily.

“Shins, kick them as hard as you can with your heels. In-stepping on the boniest part of their feet, if you step hard enough you can break the bone, which would cripple them so you can run away,” Schmidt said.

If you can’t work up enough force for kicking and stepping, then scratching at their face and neck is the next best move. “Also, if you take the palm of your hand and force it up it breaks the nose and pushes it into the skull,” Schmidt explained.

No matter how it’s done, the most important thing in these situations is your life. If someone is taking you somewhere or doing something against your will, then the well-being of that person should be the last thing on your mind.