In a recent response to a woman who was feeling unsafe and uncomfortable at the gym because a man was giving her unsolicited advice Globe advice columnist Miss Conduct (aka Robin Abrahams) did a wonderful job of outlining the continuum of self-defense. Her early advice was to set a boundary-- it isn't rude to ask someone who is paying us unwanted attention to stop. Beyond that it also helps us sort out whether the person paying us unwanted attention just has a different social sense than we do or actually means us harm. (A harmless person will respond to a verbal boundary by leaving us alone. If someone keeps pushing it's a sign they may be looking to undermine our safety.)
Miss Conduct then proceeds to encourage her reader to take Model Mugging (IMPACT's former name) as a way to help her feel more confident and capable of protecting herself against imminent danger.
Read the advice column by clicking on the link below!
Comments