In this half‑hour segment of the Gayle King Show, host Gayle King and personal‑security expert Robert Siciliano discuss the prevalence of rape in the United States, citing National Victim Center data that 1.3 women are raped every minute (about 78 per hour). The conversation aims to empower women rather than frighten them, focusing on practical self‑defense strategies. Siciliano emphasizes the importance of the first 30‑seconds‑to‑a‑minute of an attack, noting that over 80% of people who fight back escape unharmed. He outlines vulnerable anatomical points—eyes, throat, groin, instep of the foot—and simple tactics such as clawing, slapping, or striking these areas without needing martial‑arts training. The segment also reviews low‑cost personal‑security devices: a hard‑plastic mini‑baton/keychain that can be used to strike the face, groin, neck, or rib cage, and pepper‑spray/Mace products that can deter one or multiple attackers. Siciliano mentions where to obtain these tools (police supply stores, gun shops) and stresses they are non‑offensive in appearance. Finally, he offers free copies of his safety guide, "The Safety Minute," to the audience.
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As we are taping this show today, there is a serial rapist terrorizing women on New York's Upper East Side. There is another on the loose in New Orleans, and one who is stalking women from Northern California to the Pacific Northwest. Now, according to the statistics compiled by the National Victim Center, 1.3 women are raped every minute. Listen to that figure. That translates to 78 women an hour. That's a lot of us. Those are very shocking numbers, we think, and we are not doing this show to scare you. This half hour is meant to empower you and to raise your awareness. We want to arm you with valuable information so you can protect yourself. As we mentioned earlier in the show, approximately 78 rapes happen every hour in this country. That's according to the National Victim Center. It's not a number we made up, but we think it's a very staggering number, but one that can be significantly lowered with the proper precautions. And joining us today is Robert Siciliano. He is an expert on personal security and the author of The Safety Minute. He has been instructing people on personal safety for over 15 years. And you say, Robert, that one of the main things that women should remember when they're confronted in this situation is try to be in control, and that sounds so It's so hard to do.
Because you're scared. It's important that people understand that in the first 30 seconds to a minute, you have the most control over that situation.
In the first 30 seconds?
The first 30 seconds. Your response towards your attacker can very well determine the outcome. In many studies done, over 80% of people who fought back in an attack situation, whether or not there was a weapon involved, got away unscratched.
Really?
So you do have— God-given talents that you can use to physically defend yourself, whether it's clawing the eyes or going for the neck or the throat, slapping the groin, or going for the instep of the foot.
The instep?
Show it on my foot. Meaning like the top of your foot.
Yeah. Because you said there's all little bones.
All little, like pencil-thin bones on the top of somebody's foot. By slamming the top of their foot, you're going to at least crack or break a bone in their foot, and that debilitates half of their support system. So you don't need to understand martial arts to be able to physically defend yourself. You just need to know what the vulnerable points are in the human body.
You're a firm believer in these kind of devices.
Yes.
Robert Siciliano said, "Look, I'm not trying to sell anything, Gail, but I really do believe in these products." Yes. Briefly run through them for me.
Okay.
I've never seen that black thing in the middle.
Now, having a device like this, which is a mini baton—
Let me see it.
You have it on your keys.
Yeah.
You carry it with you walking the streets. It's made out of—
It's made out of hard plastic.
It doesn't bend. It's non-offensive to look at., and, uh, if the kids get a hold of it, really nothing can happen to them. In the event of an attack situation, you can either swipe with the keys to the face, or the blunt end of this instrument is quite hard, uh, hammering someone in the groin or the face or the neck or in the rib cage can effectively debilitate them or at least release their grip from you so that you have the opportunity to escape.
Where do you get that?
Well, something like this is less than $5. You can get them in police supply stores or gun shops or something like that. Mostly police supply stores. They are very effective and you should put it right on your keychain. In addition to that, I strongly feel that the mace-type products, the pepper sprays, the tear gas products, can be effective deterrents. Now you can spray as many as one or as little as one or as many as 5 people at the same time, so it is good for multiple attack-type situations.
Show me that, for instance.
This is effectively the Mace brand product with the loop on it for the key, a clip for the belt, and you can only spray it away, and you can't spray yourself, and it won't go off accidentally. And it's fortified with pepper and tear gas. Now, it doesn't work all the time, but if you— again, it is a tool that you can use to protect yourself. And this is just water, it's a testing unit, and it sprays about 10 feet, you know, and that can effectively, you know, put down, you know, 3, 4, 5 people at the same time.
And we want people to know that you've given everybody in the audience free copy of your book. You don't mind if we mention that to you?
Not at all.
Free copy of Robert Siciliano's book. We thank you for that.
My pleasure.
Good advice today. Stay with us, we'll be right back.
