As background to this blog post, you should know that women are assaulted approximately 9 times more often than men. Is it any wonder that women need self-defense products so much more than men do? Women who are becoming much more mobile and much more active in the business world need self-defense and self-defense products more than ever. Did you know that for the first time, there are more women in college than men? Did you also know that there are more women in professional schools than men?
With the number of assaults, robberies, carjackings, domestic violence and other crimes being committed against women, it is easy to see why women are much more concerned about their own personal safety and personal security than men are. And let’s face it they are just more vulnerable.
All you have to do is look at the police blotter in your community or any other community for that matter, to see that the number of assaults against women is so much greater than against men.
Where do these assaults occur?
Unfortunately, the number one place for assaults against women is in the home where domestic violence effects close to 25% of all women in an intimate partner relationship. They are victims of domestic abuse as confirmed by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Close behind that are assaults against women in parking lots. Women in parking lots make good targets for perverts because they are often distracted after shopping, talking to a friend, talking on a cell phone or watching out for her small child. Plus many parking lots are poorly lit at night and there are many great hiding places for assaults to occur.
Female students in institutions of higher learning are also at greater risk of sexual assault than most other places. The culture on a College campus creates an atmosphere that is actually favorable to sexual assaults. Time magazine once stated that America’s campuses are hazardous places.
Why self-defense products?
At last count there are close to 200 million handguns registered in the United States. For many people, the use of deadly force in just about any circumstance is not justified. That is where nonlethal self-defense products come in. They provide a nonlethal alternative to the use of deadly force and in some instances are just as effective as a handgun. They have become extremely popular in the last decade, especially with women, because they have become more effective due to increased technology. At the same time their prices are lower, due to increased competition among distributors.
- By far the most popular self-defense product for women is this powerful defensive spray from Streetwise brand. It has been independently tested by Chromtec LLC to be 46% hotter than competing brands. It has 4 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU) which can incapacitate an assailant for as much as 45 minutes by causing extreme pain, excessive tearing of the eyes and making breathing very difficult. This model also contains a UV marking dye for assailant identification. It fires 7 to 9 one second bursts up to 7 feet away. It has a built-in clip and key ring for easy attachment to pocket, belt, purse or keys. To be honest, the main reason this is the number one self-defense product is because of the price. At $4.95 it is the least expensive of all self-defense products. Combine that with its effectiveness and you have the making for a “Best Value.”
- Second on our list is this small stunning device it is equivalent to 8,000,000 volts. The batteries are rechargeable using a slide out plug that can be plugged directly into a standard wall outlet. It has a bright LED flashlight and the entire unit has a rubberized armor coating to protect it and ensure a firm grip. It has two levels of safety built-in to prevent accidental discharge The “safety switch must be in ON position and the Stun Activation Button must be pressed before the stun gun will oper-ate.” It also has the very popular disable pin wrist strap which when used correctly prevents the stun device from being used against you should it be taken away in a confrontation with an assailant. It is only 4 ½ inches tall and weighs 6 ounces which is the size many women prefer. It has a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.
- With the popularity of walking, jogging and cycling outdoors it is no surprise that this runner defensive spray is the third most popular self-defense product for women. It contains 6 to 81 second bursts up to as much as 20 feet away. And unlike most defensive spray products that have 10% concentration of the main ingredient of oleoresin capsicum, this eliminator brand contains 15% concentration. It also contains a UV marking dye to enable police to identify assailants after the fact. It has a very effective locking safety actuator to prevent accidental discharge.
- And fourth on our list of the best self-defense products for women is this loud personal alarm that produces a 120 dB alarm at the press of a button. It uses a replaceable 12 volt battery to power the alarm and a built-in flashlight. The fact that it’s on a key ring attachment makes it readily available just about any time of day or night. A personal alarm can frighten away a potential assailant and alert passersby of your situation. Panic alarms are one of the most underrated nonlethal self-defense products today.
Those are the top four best self-defense products for women in terms of popularity. Without question the most effective self-defense product is the Taser gun. But because of the price the Taser gun, it is out of reach of many people financially. Nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies use Tasers as their last line of nonlethal self-defense before using deadly force.