Every day, newspapers and television news are full of reports about crimes committed against women. A perpetrator generally targets a woman because she is perceived as being physically weak. While this perception has some truth to it, a woman can still fight back to free herself from the clutches of an attacker. With a few well-placed blows, she has a greater chance of escaping her attacker. Here are some tips to follow in a dangerous situation.

Use your body as a weapon

You will usually not know when you are going to be attacked. The most important rule to remember is to 'never panic'. When you panic, you are giving your attacker more opportunities to hurt you. If you stay calm, you can strategically target your attacker's vulnerabilities. Even if you are unarmed, you can use parts of your body to hurt your attacker.

Hands: Movies show that the best way to cause harm is through a punch. In reality, a punch is not very effective. If you punch your assailant, you are less likely to cause pain. In fact, a badly aimed punch can actually damage the delicate bones of your hand. If you are assaulted from behind, try to use your hands to grab or pull at the soft areas of your attacker's body like the throat or inner portions of the thighs. You could even use your hands to scratch or tear off delicate flesh, especially around the face region. Use your fingers to poke your attacker's eyes. This is an excellent way of causing damage.

Elbows: The elbow is a powerful weapon because of its bony nature. You can use your elbow to great effect especially in situations where you are grabbed from behind. Your attacker will usually grab you from behind around your waist. In such a scenario, hold your arms out, twist your upper body, and then use the gathered momentum to bring back your arm so that your elbow makes contact with your attacker. Aim to connect with a delicate portion of your assailant's anatomy. This attack works best if you manage to hit areas like the throat, ribs, groin, etc.

Knees: Your knee is a valuable weapon when you are attacked. The knee is considered to be one of the strongest parts of the human body as it is made up of bone. The best way to cause pain is to bring your knee up, in the forward direction, and plant a hard blow in between your assailant's legs. Not only will this hurt your attacker, but you will also have some precious time in which you can escape and seek help.

Feet: Even if you have small feet, you can still turn them into weapons if you are attacked. Use your heel to smash down hard onto the instep of your assailant's foot. You can even use this technique to target your assailant's ankles or calves in the event that you are lifted up off the ground. If you happen to be wearing stilettos or heeled shoes, you will definitely be able to cause your assailant great pain.

Head: The human skull is extremely hard and when used properly, can be a very powerful weapon. You can use your skull if you are attacked from the front or from behind. Move your head in the opposite direction of your attacker and then bring it back as fast as possible to make contact. Aim to connect with your attacker's nose if possible. This could actually shatter the delicate cartilage in your assailant's nose. This way you can make your escape while your attacker is left gasping for breath.

Teeth: Your teeth are capable of biting with great force. You can also bite any part of your assailant's body and cause intense pain. This makes your teeth one of the deadliest weapons when it comes to your body. However, you may also harm yourself if you bite your attacker. Remember that you have no way of knowing if your assailant is suffering from any disease. There are a number of diseases that spread through blood, such as AIDS and Hepatitis B. Bite your assailant only if you have exhausted all other options available to you and still have not managed to free yourself.

There is no reason why you should play the part of a helpless victim if you are attacked. Being able to defend yourself could sometimes mean the difference between life and death.