Is It Really Safe Out There?

I’ve seen so many quotes about safety and going out on social media since the horrible news of a women being murdered by a policeman while she was out on her own. But it opens up the question, is it really safe out there?

I remember when I was younger, probably about 13/14 up until I was pregnant with Elsa, I would go out. When I was younger it would be out with school friends in my village and then as I got older it was going out in the nearest town to me. There was more then one occasion that I would be walking in the dark. I used to work in a local pub and would walk home at night from my shift there and I would go out with friends who lived close to me and walk home when it was getting dark. So it makes sense to me to see women sharing their stories of being afraid or scared to walk in the dark.

I’m going to admit that I have been scared to walk in the dark. I have pretended to be on the phone. Hold keys inbetween my fingers and I have even ran all the way home before. All this because I was scared to be out by myself.

I live in a small village and there aren’t many street lights and I always thought to myself that the darker the place the more likely it is that something bad would happen. It is the old saying of you are not afraid of the dark, you are afraid of what is in the dark. Nothing ever happened but in my mind I thought maybe it would. I would do everything that you are told to do, pretend to talk to someone, change sides of the path, walk fast but don’t run ( I ran home but I was scared!).

Every woman you know has taken a longer route.

Has doubled back on herself. Has pretended to dawdle by a shop window.

Has held keys in her hand in case of attack. Has made a fake phone call. Has rounded a corner and run.

Every woman you know has walked home scared.

Every woman you know. – Harriet Johnson, Barrister (Lawyer)

I guess the question is; what are we scared of?

The answer. Being attacked. Kidnapped. Sexually asulted or worse.

So is it really safe out there?

I worry about when Elsa and Cleo are old enough to go out and I even worry about Brody, I know statistically, Women are more likely to be attacked but I still worry about something happening to him one day too.

It isn’t just about educating girls and young women on what to do to avoid it. It is about teaching boys and young men not to do it in the first place!