Self-Protection Measures

• One of the most important ways a woman can protect herself against sexual assault is to be vigilant and prepared in every situation and trust her gut instinct if something does not feel right.
• When traveling, women should stay around as many people as possible. If traveling by a bus or train, women should stay in a car with the most passengers, especially if traveling at night. When on a bus, women should sit as close to the driver as they can.
• When parked in a parking lot, women should have their keys in hand and ready to unlock the door instead of searching for their keys in a purse or bag while approaching the car. Also, women should avoid being on their cell phone or using earphones when walking across the parking lot. Women should always look in the back seat of their car before opening the doors. After getting into a car, the doors should be relocked.
• If at a party, bar or restaurant, women should watch their drinks closely and never leave them unattended. If at any time a woman begins to feel drowsy or overly intoxicated despite having a minimum number of drinks, she should tell a waitress or bartender or call a friend. She should never leave a bar or party with a stranger or even her date if she suspects her drink may have been drugged.
• For a first date a woman can plan to drive herself and arrange the date at a place with a lot of other people. She should be sure to tell others where she is going and who she is meeting. In addition, she can plan an intervetion in case she needs help. This would involve creating a key word or phrase that she can text to a friend if she begins to feel uncomfortable. The friend could then either call her cell phone or arrive at the location to assist.

Sexual Assault Initiatives

• The Washington DC Rape Prevention Education (RPE) Program the Community Health Administration. The program is aimed primarily at Kindergarten through twelve and thier families. The curricula is designed to provide age appropriate sexual violence prevention information.
• Maryland's Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program (RSAPP) aims to prevent sexual assault "through education, collaboration, and professional training." It was established in 1996 within the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance is the leading advocacy group providing resources and training in Virginia on sexual violence topics. The state does not appear to have any specific initiatives on sexual assault prevention.