Written by Nick Boyer and Brooke Manna
Each year, on the last Wednesday in April, people are encouraged to participate in wearing denim to raise awareness of rape and sexual assault for Denim Day. The Denim Day website explains that the campaign began after an Italian Supreme Court overtured a rape conviction because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent.
Following the overturn of the conviction, women working for the Italian Parliament showed up the next day wearing jeans in solidarity for the victim. Thus, Denim Day was born to support those who fall victim to rape, sexual assault and victim blaming.
Unfortunately, women, and some men, are targeted because it appears they cannot defend themselves against attackers. Below are a few discreet gadgets that women, and men, can carry with them and use in self defence or when put in unsafe situations.
Nick:This is a dope product. It’s sleek, looks good, and is easy to access. Not to mention it looks like it’d do some damage. I’ll definitely be recommending this product to my sister and friends
Brooke: I'm about to buy one of these myself! After watching the video on their website of how impactful the ring can be on a water bottle, I'm convinced that this can definitely hurt an attacker. This is a product I would gladly drop $70-$140 on because I know it would work well.
Nick: I think these look better than a normal ring, but the price seems a little extraordinary ($150). Maybe I’m wrong and this is a great deal; I’m not really in the ring game.
The only possible problem I could think of is concerning its effectiveness; someone would have to really square an attacker for this to work.
Brooke: If you ask me, I agree with Nick. The Defender Ring is definitely the way to go. If I were to be spending a pretty penny on a defense ring, I would want one that actually works and the Knockout rings dont look like they'd do much damage at all. Sure they look nice, but are they actually going to do the damage that their website implies? I'm not sure about that.
Nick:A good twist on the classic whistle, but I don’t think many women would prefer to wear this around their neck compared to carrying a whistle in their purse or pocket. It stands out on a necklace, and not in a particularly good way.
Brooke:A whistle might seem obvious, but it can be the things that saved your life in any given situation. This is a great way to draw attention to yourself if you’re feeling like you may be unsafe. Whether you’re out for a run, on your own, or with a group of friends and someone approaches you inappropriately, keep this little whistle on your keychain or under your shirt for easy access to grab it and blow.
Nick:A good idea, but I thought it was a little unnecessary to disguise the pepper spray. Whether you use the product or regular pepper spray, you’ll still have to keep it in your bag.
Also, wouldn’t the visible threat of pepper spray work to someone's advantage if being approached by an attacker?
Brooke: No matter who you are, I think everyone should carry pepper spray on them at all times. I carry mine right on my keychain. I don't think you can ever go wrong with pepper spray, especially for students who walk to their cars at night. But I do think that disguising the bottle to not look like pepper spray is a little overboard. In theory, yes, it could be a good idea if you want to spray someone without them seeing you take out a pepper spray bottle, but when you spray them that won't make much of a difference in the end. They won't be able to see anyway.
Nick:This is a good one. It’s tiny, easy to carry, and very effective. It has a siren and a strobe light in one small package.
P.S. I love the colors they come in.
Brooke:Personal Alarms are great, especially if you don't want to carry a whistle on you. These little keychain sized gadgets are small enough to fit in your pocket but pack a loud high pitch punch. Set it off by pulling it apart and the siren goes off while the light in the front begins to flash.this little things will indicate to people you are in trouble, even at night. And yes, as Nick mentioned, they come in many cute colors!
Brooke:You can find these all over Amazon. This particular link says that the pole is compatible with an apple watch, however, I'm not sure why you'd need to connect it to an apple watch. All and all I think this would be a smart tool to keep in your car and whip out if somones following you.
Nick:This seems like something out of a low-budget karate movie and I love that. It would definitely be a great defense weapon, but again, I’m not sure how quick someone would be able to access this weapon. Also, it’s a little much to carry, but I’m still a fan.
Brooke:All Go-Guarded products are targeted for active people wanting a little extra protection when exercising out alone. The products range from defence rings to paperspray to a combination of products. The handheld + pepper spray combines a tactical knife on one side with pepper spray on the other. Easy to hold in one hand while running or going for a walk, anyone would feel safe with this little tool.
Nick:This is the ultimate “don’t fuck with me” product. It’s everything you could need literally in the palm of your hand. It’s not on the low, but definitely a great product for personal safety.