The way you walk could make you a target for potential predators, a forensic expert has warned.
Alex, a forensic psychology student, said evidence suggests that male predators look for specific characteristics when choosing a victim, from the width of their stride to the way they hold their arms.
In a recent TikTok video, he referenced a study that analyzed men convicted of rape, assault, murder, and kidnapping to uncover the methodology behind selecting a victim.
Inmates overwhelmingly selected women who looked scared, uncomfortable, or walked with a certain awkwardness that indicated they wouldn’t put up a good fight if attacked.
Every 68 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S., and the way you behave, such as looking scared, holding your arms close to your body, or walking with your head down, could make you a victim.
The way you walk and your body language say a lot about who you are as a person (whether you are shy, awkward or confident), all of this can be discerned by your stride and the way you carry yourself.
Researchers Researchers at Brock University conducted the study in 2013, in which they showed incarcerated predators videos of women walking and asked them to select what type of woman they would select as a victim.
“Of all the women in the videos, only a few were unanimously chosen by the imprisoned men,” Alex said in the video, as reported worthy.
“You might think that these women were chosen for something to do with their physical appearance, such as their body size, whether they were small and petite, a certain hair color, or a certain general physical appearance,” she continued.
“Instead, what all the women had in common was the way they walked and how they carried themselves in general public.”
The women targeted in the study had a stride that was too big or too small for their body size, had their arms crossed or close to their bodies, or swung them wildly at their sides.
They also appeared to be unaware of their surroundings, taking smaller steps and walking at a slower pace with their heads down.
Walking with their arms crossed and not paying attention to their surroundings, inmates said it indicated they were more afraid and anxious, making them weaker than other potential victims, Alex shared.
Because the women weren’t looking at their general surroundings, they would be easier to surprise, and keeping their arms crossed meant that the predator could put their arms around them without the person fighting too much.
Alex, a forensic psychology student, posted a video on TikTok explaining that signs of weakness give the impression that you are more fragile and will be an easy target for predators. But for women who walk with their backs straight, lift their chins and keep pace with others, there is a sense that they will put up a good fight if they are attacked.
Alex also noticed that when women swung or waved their arms away from their body, they left their body open for a predator to easily approach from behind and wrap their arms around their torso.
Just like a lion feeding on an antelope with a broken leg on healthier animals, women who walk slower or take smaller steps could give the impression that they are sick, injured, or just more fragile in general, which makes them easier to subdue.
However, according to the 2013 study, women who walked with a natural stride, proportional to their body, kept the same pace as other people in the area, and stood upright with their chins raised, were not susceptible to being attacked.
These women exuded an air of confidence, “essentially giving off an energy that said, ‘Don’t mess with me.’ I’ll put up a good fight,” Alex said.
The TikToker acknowledged that it can be difficult to actively think about the way you walk and behave, but remembering the STAAR method could make it easier.
She said it is important to walk with a natural S (stride) for your body, stand in a T (everything) and keep your shoulders back and chin up, avoid keeping your A (arms) close to your body, stay A (careful) with your surroundings and R(relax) staying calm and collected.
The bottom line, Alex said, is “not to give any indication that you feel or see something is wrong to a potential attacker.”
Every 68 seconds, a person is sexually assaulted in the US, but only 25 out of every 1,000 predators end up in prison, according to RAIN (National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network), making it more important than ever to take steps to protect yourself from predators.
