It Can Happen To You! (1970s)

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Yes, It can happen to you. [Music] This is Jean Bray. She's a police woman in Columbus, Ohio, currently assigned to the Public Affairs Bureau. She is a life member of the National Rifle Association of America and a member of the women in NRA panel which is a public service group of women specially appointed to lecture at state and national conventions concerning the various programs of the NRA. [Music] Policewoman Bray is also a member of the Columbus, Ohio Police Pistol Team and has been five times National Woman Police Combat Pistol Champion. Gan Bray is the first woman ever to qualify for the NRA Police Distinguished Expert Bar. To qualify, one must attain a score of 98 or above on the FBI Combat Pistol Course. Gan is a nationally recognized authority on personal safety and has appeared on network television with her self-defense message. Jean's interest in safety education encompasses all ages from elementary school children to men's civic groups to lectures on self-defense to women across the country. [Music] Hi. Come on in. I've been expecting you. I'm a bit early. I hope you don't mind. Oh, I don't mind a bit. I'm glad you're so proud. It's a bit loud, so I turn it down. Quite often, I leave it on to help ward off burgers and prowlers. Oh, I love your house, Jean. It's just charming. Thank you. Won't you sit down? Thank you. Well, Jean, since we're in this safety film for women, I feel it's important that we should tell our viewers what not to do, which after all is the most important thing in self-defense. Oh, those uh opening scenes were pretty grim. Yes, they really were, Peggy. But they were realistic. These things do happen, and even more. It's ugly, but it's true. Self-defense does begin with basic precautions. In our first scene, the young girl made one bad move after another. Her attitude was much too inviting. She carried her handbag all wrong. The strap should have been over the shoulder, the flap toward the body, and her hand on top of the purse. Other types should be held firmly under the arm as you'd carry a football. She should never have stopped to window shop at night. She parked in a dark section of the parking lot and didn't have her keys ready in her hand. And because of all of these mistakes, she never got the chance to look into the backseat of the car before getting in. A habit you should develop. Well, I work and I often shop at night, you know, when the stores are open till 9:00 and I usually park my car in that same area. Sometimes there are these guys hanging around. I know some of them, but this guy, I never saw him before. There were two of them. And when this guy was dragging me, he dragged me into some real dark place. Well, when he was dragging me, I saw the other guy just standing there, just looking at me. He didn't do a thing to help me. And then the guy who attacked me hit me hard and I blacked out. when I came to he was. So I tried to scream and he grabbed my hair and he slapped me and I guess I blacked out again. They told me at the hospital what he'd done and I'll be all right, but I know I'll never forget it. Our teacher told us if someone follows you in a car, you should run the other way. But this man looked so nice and so friendly and he was in a big car. I thought he was asking for directions. And when I went over to the car, he opened the door and wanted me to get in. And I got, you know, scared. So I ran back to the first house I saw. I figured I could get there before he could. I'll never talk to a strange man again. In our second scene, the girl would have done better to ignore any man in a cruising car. She never should have gone near him. Children can't comprehend child molesters. Luckily, she was able to get away from him and run in the opposite direction. [Music] The third scene was so obvious, yet how many women drive around town with their car doors unlocked and their windows wide open. It's not only the cash I lost. I had just come from the bank. I had stopped by the house to pick up my list. I was on my way to do some grocery shopping. And I had extra money for the week. you know, money for the kids allowances, my husband's parking money, the usual family expenses. It makes me sick about losing the money, but even worse, all my credit cards. And now I can't find the list I made of the credit card numbers. Anyone could forge my signature from some of the things in my wallet. and my checkbook was in my bag and a separate set of house keys. With all that identification, I'll I'll have to have the locks changed on all the doors. I hope I can get somebody to do it soon. I'll be a nervous wreck until I get those locks changed. Car door should be locked and windows rolled most of the way up, especially in city driving, even if your car is airond conditioned. Here are some points I've jotted down most people don't think of. Never park in dark areas. Have car keys ready as you approach car. Look in back seat before entering. Keep car windows closed and doors locked at all times. Never leave valuables in view. Lock them in the trunk. Never pick up hitchhikers. Do not roll window all the way down to talk to anyone who approaches car. What should you do if you have car trouble on the road someplace? First of all, pull off the road while your car is still in motion. Get out and raise the hood of the car. Tie a scarf on your outside mirror, door handle, or aerial. Get back in the car, lock the door, close the window, and wait for help. Don't open the door or window to anyone. Ask any stranger who stops to call the police for you. Keep your windows closed. It's wise to keep a white or light colored scarf or piece of material in the glove compartment. Also keep a dime for phone calls and a pencil and paper to write a phone number for someone to call your home or the nearest service or police station. But suppose some nut starts following you as you're driving along. Well, if you're certain you're being followed, head for a busy area such as a shopping center or a gas station. Main thing is don't let him force you off the road. Try to stay ahead of him and use your own best judgment. Some bumper stickers are open invitations, too. Take a look at some of them. Here's another list for safety when you're not in your car. Stay away from all dark areas such as doorways, bushes, or hedges. Look in self-operating elevators before entering. I never thought of that. Generally, it's just a matter of thinking ahead and being prepared. Let's take a look at our next scene. Hello. Hi, Karen. Yes, I got home all right. Well, it was stupid of me not to check my gas on the way over. No, I can get some tomorrow on my way to the office. The gas station will be open by then. Well, of course I'll make it. Well, certainly. I gave him my telephone number. I hope he calls me soon. Listen, it's it's late and uh I'd like to get some rest. No, I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for calling. Okay. Yeah. Bye-bye. [Music] I guess I wasn't thinking. The building is so far back from the street and it's covered with lots of trees and bushes. Besides, who would think there would be anybody out there at such a late hour of the night? And then seeing someone looking through my window, that's bad enough. Now I always have the feeling that there's someone out there watching me. At night, during the day, I'm always half afraid to be alone. I even asked them to install some bright lighting outside the building. But I always have the feeling that there's somebody out there watching me. A chilling scene. The woman who forgets to close curtains and lock windows, the woman who allows herself to be seen undressing or partially clothed is the woman who invites trouble. It could be a peeping tom or potential rapist or burglar. Here again, we see lack of awareness plus invitational behavior. Let's take another look at that dressing table. There are several things a woman normally carries in her handbag that could be used for self-defense. A hat pin or cor pin, a sturdy rat tail comb or teasing comb, a metal nail file, a scissor, hairspray, even a punchtype can opener or a corkcrew bottle opener, a lighted cigarette or an umbrella make good defense weapons, too. All good ideas, Peg. In fact, the main thing is to think about self-defense ahead of time. Then, should you be attacked, go for the eyes first. Fingernails are great weapons. In fact, uh, kicking, biting, scratching, and screaming can be very helpful, and older women could do well with a whistle or some type of loud noise maker. [Music] Should someone get in to attack you, start screaming, and pick up a heavy object such as an ashtray, a planter, a bookend, a vase, or anything heavy enough to go through the window. Just the breaking of the glass should attract attention or frighten him away. [Music] Try to keep some kind of furniture between you and the intruder so he will have to go over it or around it to reach you. As I understand it, the whole idea is to get away any way you can. Throw him off balance enough to enable you to get away. Hello. As for obscene phone calls, if you receive one, don't say anything. Hang up the receiver or blow a whistle into the phone or jiggle the hook and say, "Ooperator, this is the call you've been waiting for." Best of all, say nothing. No matter how many times he calls, hang up. Eventually, you'll give up. Who's there? Telephone repair man. Well, come in. The door's unlocked. I'm having to use a walker. I'm so slow. Come on in. I didn't know there was anything wrong with the phone. My daughter, she was in such a hurry this morning. Had to take a bunch of kids up to the lake. I guess she forgot to tell me. That's funny. My sister called before Vicki left. Said she was coming over to visit with me today. I get so lonely when I'm here alone. So now watch this. She's let him in. Doesn't seem to realize he's not in proper uniform. She's already told him she's incapacitated and now she's going to give him more information. Said she wasn't feeling good. Lives only a block away. So I'm alone today. Can't you fix the phone at the main line coming into the house? That's the phone in the kitchen. What are you doing? Who are you? What do you want? Who are you? Get away from me. Get away. That's the type of man who'd come around during the day figuring a woman might be home alone. It was awful. What chance did I have with that ugly boot? I never dreamed such a terrible thing could happen to me. Why me? I'm not young, pretty. I'm so ashamed. I did all the papers. I uh I I lay there for hours until my daughter came home. The children know the whole thing. He took all my nice things. Went into every room. Goodness knows how much he took. I couldn't scream. I couldn't seem to get my breath. And my heart's bad, you know. I guess I'm lucky to be alive. These things happen to women who are unaware of the precautions they should take. Women of every age should learn a few basic rules and techniques of self-defense. I'd like to show you a few of the things that a woman could do to ward off an attacker. Should someone try to grab you around the shoulders, and this is quite common, your first reaction would probably be to try to pull away, and that wouldn't do a bit of good. Instead, straighten up and very quickly flip your head back into his. You might catch him across the nose, the chin, the throat, or the chest. At the same time you're doing this, you might be able to bring your elbow back into his ribs just as hard as you could. Keep it close to your body, not out. Also, you might double up a fist. Keep your arm straight and bring it right back into the groin area. Or if you can't do that, you might be able to reach back, grab, and twist. You could scrape your foot the length of his shins. You might be able to stomp on top of his foot or grind your heel into his instep. Should he have his fingers around your throat, you could reach for the little fingers and bend them out or backwards. He will have to release his hold on your throat. Or if he has his fingers like this, you could swing around with one arm like this. And this wouldn't depend upon his height either. Any height would be all right. Bring your fingers up into his face or into his nose. Should he come at match you in the opposite direction, the same thing would apply. Down would come your head into his face. Up would go your knee into the groin area or a doubled up fist and a straight arm into the groin area because then it wouldn't matter how tall he was. Should he have his hands around your throat in this direction? You could clasp your hands together like this. Keep your arms very straight. Take one step back and bring both of your arms up through his because then he would have to release you facing him. Go for the eyes. This is one of the first things to remember. Two fingers right in the eyes. So many women say, "Oh, I couldn't do that." But it's amazing how dirty you can fight if you feel you might be killed. Also, the solar plexus is a very vulnerable area. To give you an idea where it is, it's always the fourth button down on a man's shirt. Now, I know you're not going to have time to stop and count, but this is the general area. And a straight hand right into the solar plexus will produce that result. Both hands flat across the ears at the same time, pushing up on his nose with the heel of your hand. This is a very sensitive area. Then possibly while his head is back, a chop with the side of your hand to the Adam's apple, a hollow in his throat. This is a very simple thing, but you know, when you push on it, it can cause a person to cough or to gag enough possibly to throw him off balance. If you're able to, you could take a step backwards and smash your foot into his kneecap. This is very painful here. Again, if he has his fingers around your throat, you could use the little finger method of bringing his little fingers out. This will relax his hold on your neck. These are a few moves any of you could make without complicated training or physical strength. Remember, react quickly. This is most important. Think ahead. It could save your life. Safety is also very important in the home. Whenever you're home, you should have your doors locked. So many people, if they think about it, will lock only the heavy inside door without stopping to think when they go to the door, they've taken away the only protection they had. This is why the outer storm or screen door should be locked, too. Should someone come to your door to ask to borrow your telephone, keep him on the outside behind the locked doors while you make the call for him. Should you be in your garden doing some gardening or sunbathing or having a party in the backyard, be sure your doors are locked in the front. Don't leave your door open without locking your storm or screen door, too. No home is burglarp proof. There are many types of locks for the home. Be certain yours are properly installed. The first three locks are deadbolt locks to be used in conjunction with any main locking latch. The first one, the deadbolt rim lock. The second deadbolt with inside thumb turn, and the third, deadbolt inside lock. All three of these should be used on doors where there is no glass panel, for if there is a glass panel, someone could break the panel and reach around and unlock the bolt. The fourth one is a deadbolt double cylinder lock. This has to have a key and be locked or unlocked from both sides. In fact, you should keep a key on the inside, so it would be handy should you ever need it in an emergency. This is very good for use on doors with glass panels. The fifth one is a night chain latch. Its deterrent value is more psychological than physical. It will make noise if force is used against it, but it's well worth its cost. Just be sure the chain is a snug fit with no slack in it. There's also an excellent model with a buzzer that sounds when the chain is removed and continues until replaced on the other side. Our sixth lock is a locking latch with an anti-shim device used on many of our homes today. It's a good lock if properly installed, but should always be augmented by a deadbolt lock. This is a deadbolt inside lock. This is a good auxiliary lock used in conjunction with the one I just mentioned, the locking latch with an anti-shim device. This is a little different model. There's no key that can be duplicated. The door can be opened only with this and it has a certain set of magnets within it that cannot be duplicated and it's one of a kind. In the home, on the street, day or night, know how to protect yourself. Remember, your objective is not to overpower the man, is to throw him off balance enough to enable you to get away. Think ahead. Think of some of the points we've made in this film. There is no pad answer for many situations. We have nice people into our detective bureau every day. People who have been beaten, molested, and robbed. And so often they'll say, "I've seen this type of thing on the paper, but I never thought it would happen to me." Until it does, and then so often it's too late. Please be prepared. It can happen to you. [Music] [Music]