Three Personal Safety Essentials Every Woman Should Own.

Contents List:
- Two “Party Girl Watch Your Cocktail” Coasters
- “Alarmed and Dangerous” Personal Safety Alarm
- “Girls Night In” Door Wedge Alarm
- The Official Safety Chick – Laptop/Travel Bag
$39.95 ($10.95 shipping)

College Safety 101

Packed with sound advice from safety experts, anecdotes from college students and invaluable resources.

College Safety 101 is the handbook every college student needs on her bookshelf, and is one to refer to again, and again.
$16.95 ($5.05 shipping)

Door Wedge Alarm

Simply slide the wedge under the door directly under the doorknob. It makes the door hard to open and also has a motion sensor that will trigger a 120-decible alarm and alert you to a potential intruder – BEFORE they get inside!
$11.95 ($5.05 shipping)

Date Rape Prevention Drink Coaster

If you or a friend feel that you have been drugged, take a straw and put a drop from the tainted drink on each test pad – if it turns blue, your drink has been tampered with…get to a hospital immediately and call the police on the way – tell them you have been slipped a drug.
$10.95 includes 6 coasters ($5.00 shipping)

Alarmed and Dangerous – Personal Safety Alarm

Just clip the alarm to your belt or purse and if you feel in danger just pull the pin. The 120 decible alarm will shriek along with a flashing strobe light, which draws attention and can signal for help!
$12.95 ($5.05 shipping)

I cannot tell you how many stories I hear of homes getting burglarized, or a homeowner being surprised by an unwanted intruder simply because they did not lock their doors. I do not care if you live in a “safe neighborhood”…crime knows no boundaries and it is just a matter of time before your house is the one that is targeted. Criminals cruise “safe neighborhoods” for that very reason. They know that people that live in rural or quiet neighborhoods have that false sense of security and don’t lock their doors.

I did a segment for America’s Most Wanted a few years ago to highlight this very problem. A friend of one of our producers kept one of her doors partially open with a chain lock so her cat could go in and out while she was at work during the day. I was able to get through her side gate, into a courtyard which exposed a partially opened glass door that led straight into her bedroom! I was able to reach in with one hand and undo the chain lock. In less than 30 seconds I was bouncing on her bed! Needless to say, when she returned home, she was quite shocked to find the Safety Chick waiting for her to give a Home Safety Makeover and show her the importance of investing in a Cat Door and good solid locks!

I am a big fan of Electronic Deadbolts-this is a keyless entry system that makes life a lot easier getting in and out of the house-no fumbling with keys at night, simply press a few buttons and you’re in. Kwikset has some great products in this category…check out controllable keyless entry deadbolt with SmartCode™ Signature Series. With your own personal code, you can enter your home with just a few simple pushes of a button and lock it with just one. You also get more control over who has access to your home. Just assign a temporary code to whoever needs one and delete it when you see fit. You can totally eliminate the need for keys. SmartCode is easy to install, program and use and operates on 4 AA batteries. SmartCode complements any Kwikset knob, lever or handle set. Now, you have NO excuse not to lock your doors…and be sure to have “Fluffy” use the Cat Door.

Check out the SmartCode deadbolts from Kwikset!
http://www.kwikset.com/Products/Styles/SmartCode-Deadbolts.aspx

Disclosure: I am a member of the Kwikset-sponsored SmartSquad and and occasionally receive incentives to discuss issues related to home safety and security.

I will be travelling across the country this spring to teach young women the ins and outs of college life and the dangers that go with it. I will give you the tools to have an Empowered, Positive and Confident life! Would you like to have me speak at your campus or organization or be an official stop of the Miss Independent-College Safety Book Tour??? Hurry my calendar is filling up!

Remember: Violent/Abusive relationships don’t just happen in marriage…remember Yeardly Love–The University of Virginia  Lacross Player who was beaten and murdered by her ex-boyfriend? If you or anyone you know is in an abusive or potentially dangerous relationship-don’t wait, take the steps needed to get out and get safe. Contact NCADV.org for help. When it comes to the opposite sex-remember this old saying…there are ALOT of Fish in the Sea…pick a good one-that treats you with kindness, respect, and love.

While the founder, Verdeen’s brother, Maurice has been sidelined with MS-he still plays an important role in motivating them to continue on with the same spiritual integrity they have always had. The new members that have joined them all share that same dignity, and integrity…I have had the privilege of meeting them over the years–and one member that always sticks out to me is Drummer John Paris-father, husband, and incredibly talented musician. He donates his time giving free Drum Clinics to children in addition to a hectic tour schedule!

It is important to find that musical motivation/inspiration-whether it’s Bon Jovi or The Boston Pops–everyone needs their own groove! What’s yours?….

Thats Me Posing With the UCLA Spirit Squad. Go BRUINS!

Recently I met with the UCLA Spirit Squad to teach them about personal safety. When I was a UCLA Song Girl (OK…quite a few years ago ), I was fortunate enough to travel all over the country and was amazed at the number of people I met at all the games and events we went to. It is always smart to be aware of your surroundings and to listen to your gut instinct when something or someone doesn’t feel right-or puts you in fear for your safety. Being exposed to so many people can put you in dangerous situations, so making smart personal safety choices is extremely important!…My UCLA Bruins have now been trained by the Safety Chick and are ready for the FOOTBALL Season!!!–All I can say is, they truely now know how to “FIGHT ON” hee, hee, hee!!! GO BRUINS!!!

In the last few weeks, Christina DesMarais has lived in a state of fear.

The writer, triathlon runner and mother of four started a nutrition and fitness blog a few weeks ago and noticed someone kept posting nasty comments. Eventually, she started receiving hurtful e-mails as well. Last week, a letter came in the mail.

“I’m the middle-aged man in the turquoise junker or the teen in the silver Camero (sic) or maybe even the woman in the Suburban — I wouldn’t be caught running down my road again if I were you,” the anonymous letter said Read the full letter “The last letter was a rant about us being white trash who use the system, while hardworking taxpayers foot the bill for our lavish lifestyle,” said DesMarais, who originally posted public comments about the harassment but has since removed those posts and contacted local authorities.

It turns out that cyberstalking laws do help protect victims traumatized by repeated communications on blogs, social networks, and abusive e-mails, although the exact laws vary from state-to-state, said Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and security lawyer, book author, and executive director of WiredSafety.org. Aftab also advises Facebook on cyberharassment policies.

“Digital harassment violates a federal statute, which says anonymous communication with intent to annoy is now a federal crime that carries a two-years prison term and pretty serious fines,” she said.
However, Aftab said no one has been prosecuted under that law, which was enacted in early 2006. In many cases, local authorities are ill-equipped and reluctant to deal with cyber-investigative techniques, and “in a lot of cases results in nothing more than an expensive speeding ticket” she said.

Is Cyberstalking a Serious Cause for Concern?

For those who spend hours on the Internet, it’s hard to know when anonymous posters are just poking fun or making negative comments and when you are actually being stalked.

“Cyberstalking usually involves a course of conduct, more than one instance, that would cause a reasonable person fear,” said Michael Kaiser, the Executive Director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. “E-mail, text messages, and harassing on websites are considered stalking in a lot of instances and a sign that things are turning.”
Kathleen Baty, the CEO of Safety Chick Enterprises, was stalked from 1982 to 1990. She was kidnapped and held at gunpoint in an 11-hour standoff with police until she was finally let go. She now advises ESPN anchors and celebrities on how to deal with cyberstalking.
“Stalking can take all forms,” said Baty. “If someone is following you or fixating upon you, sending you e-mails, waiting to show up at your door, it falls under the same umbrella of stalking.”
Baty said there is a gray area to cyberstalking. This form of harassment could be a random hacker messing around on the Internet, or it could be someone watching you and wishing you harm. However, whether it’s on the Internet or in person, the stress and turmoil is just as real.

“This is stalking, it’s just that the means of getting to you is through the Internet,” she said.

Jeff Lanza was an FBI special agent for 20 years and now works as a security specialist. He said the difference between a harmless Internet nasty gram (which seems all too common these days) and real cyberstalking is the intent to do physical harm.

Interestingly, the concept of “trolls” who just annoy for pleasure have been around for decades. But new social networks such as Facebook are designed for more intimate connections.

Krystal Jones, a marketing professional from Columbus, Ohio, said Facebook cyberstalking became “a horror story” but was resolved quickly. She had connected with a former friend on Facebook, but then started receiving e-mails and wall postings from his spouse, laced with foul language.

She was accused of having less than noble intentions in connecting with the former friend. Jones dealt with the issue by using use the friend-blocking features on Facebook.

“Facebook allows people to control how their information is shared and who’s able to contact them,” said Simon Axten, a Facebook spokesperson. “We have automated systems to detect and block suspicious or potentially dangerous behavior, such as sending many messages to non-friends in a short period of time or friend requests that are ignored at an unusually high rate.”

How to Deal With a Cyberstalker

Baty advises to take note when online communication seems to be taking the form of repeated abuse.

She said it’s important to keep a file of all communications on blogs, social networks, e-mail and through the post office. And retain the actual digital copy, which may contain an IP address. She advises to examine your “security perimeter” and determine whether you feel safe online or if you have revealed too much information about your personal life.

Aftab has coined the term “good digital hygiene” for a way to live securely on the Web. She said not to use obvious passwords or reveal personal information, and to make use of the privacy settings on Facebook, Twitter.com, and other accounts that can hide your exact birthdate and address.

Lanza said it’s true we live in a digital age where people will sometimes vent online and flame each other, and Aftab agreed that we need to develop thick skin to the occasional cyberjab.

However, criminals do use social engineering tactics to harass their victims. Aftab said a hacker might try to break into your Facebook account and post pictures or messages that get you kicked off the site. The goal is sometimes to annoy you, but some initial contacts can lead to more nefarious activity. She advises never to engage a cyberstalker in more communication, since that is often the goal.
Lanza said our identities are wide open on the Internet. Hackers can use a reverse e-mail search to find your personal information, such as your spouse’s name, using a site such as Zabasearch.com. Once a criminal has your physical address and birth date, they can often steal your online identity.

For DesMarais, it’s not important how the cyberstalking started or how it’s defined — the goal now is to make it stop before it escalates further. It has started causing real emotional pain.

“I worry all the time if this person is going to hurt me, or do something to my family in order to hurt me,” she said. “We have had to invest in a security system, which is costly. I have had to alter where I run, avoiding places that are remote. I worry that the stalker will get into our house when we sleep. The many ways someone could hurt us is endless and I think about those possibilities every day.”