Here are a few links that you can share with your female friends on the topic of personal safety.

http://www.dr-ruthless.com/

http://www.aware.org/

http://www.girlsfightback.com/

From the first link, I ordered the "Fierce and Female" video that was produced by Melissa Soalt. The two tapes are a good introduction to how to develop situational awareness, steps you can make to avoid projecting a "victim aura," and actual moves you can use in the event you are attacked.

I also recommend a book by Gavin de Becker entitled Protecting the Gift, which deals with how to use our innate intuition and powers of observation to detect warning signs of potential criminal or ***ual attack against our children. Even though De Becker expresses anti-gun sentiments in this book, the rest of it is very informative.

Let's all stay safe out there and give those scumbag rapists a reason to be fearful for a change.