There is no doubt that crime affects all of us in one way or
another. Crime statistics show that all ages will face the
possibility of violence, burglary, assault or something similar
at some time in their lives.
Personal protection and self-defense are stressed in the media.
There are numerous personal safety products and videos on the
market; the opportunity to protect yourself exists. We market
these products and ideas to young adults, families and
especially to women. However, there is one group whom we seem to
have forgotten. These people perhaps need self-defense products
as much as or more than the above groups. I’m referring to
grandparents, senior citizens and widows.
This group faces the same dangers as the rest of us. Too, many
of them are caregivers and/or guardians for their grandchildren.
When their adult children stay at home or move back to the
parents’ home, the possibility exists that there will be a clash
between the two generations. Some form of violence or abuse
could occur. Many senior citizens live alone. They all deserve
the same protection as anyone else. Yet they have not adequately
been made aware of what is available for personal and home
protection.
I can make these observations because I am a member of that
group. I am a grandparent and a senior at 60 years young. Yes, I
market self protection products, so I quickly saw that the
demographics were targeted to 19-45 year olds. I believe we need
to rethink this because too many senior citizens simply don’t
know what is available to protect them and their peace of mind.
I also feel that I can speak from experience about the issue. My
mother was sexually assaulted and beaten in her own home by 2
guys who were high on dope and alcohol. She was 85 at the time
and had nothing to protect her—no mace, no pepper spray, no stun
gun. She lived eight months after that incident. My late
mother-in-law was a widow and lived by herself in her own home.
She was constantly fearful of sounds at night, her neighborhood
and the bad element that cruised up and down her street. She
knew nothing about self-defense products; her peace of mind was
always affected.
Personally, I have been the victim of burglars three times. They
took electronic equipment from my home and all my tools from the
garage. If I had known then about such devices as personal
alarms, wireless alarms and driveway alarms, none of the losses
would have occurred.
My daughter has been a victim of spousal abuse. Her
three-year-old daughter (the sunshine in my life) witnessed much
of this. When I see how some people have little or no respect
for the rights and property of others, I worry for her as she
gets older. My daughter carries pepper spray on her keychain; I
bought it for her.
You have experiences similar to mine and can relate to my
concerns. Perhaps it’s your father or mother, your grandparents,
other loved ones. They need to be aware of self protection
products for their safety and well-being. Yes we tell them what
to look for and what to do if they are involved in a dangerous
situation, but we don’t inform them of products available to use
in such predicaments.
Granted, it might not be wise for them to use all the
self-defense products, but they should know that stun guns, stun
alarm flashlights, cell phone stun guns, pepper pagers, pepper
spray, personal alarms, home protection devices, and the new
stunning ring are available for their use.
So, how do we remedy this situation? If you have grandparents or
even parents who are seniors, tell them about these products.
The electronic and print media could produce special segments on
the use of such products. Those of us with web sites can target
this group of people. Law enforcement officials often have
seminars informing seniors how to protect their homes and
themselves. Sessions could be scheduled demonstrating
self-defense products and the use of them.
With more attention and focus on senior citizens, this oversight
could be corrected. They have as much right to protect
themselves as anyone else.
For information on home security and self-defense products,
visit www.safetyenforcer.com.
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