Young women should be aware of potential threats in daily life and improve self-defense skills, says an article of the 21st Century Business Herald.

Excerpts:

Three young women were killed or raped by strangers on their way to work, home and school in Sichuan, Shandong and Jiangsu this month. The shock news attracted wide attention.

It is dangerous for a woman to accept a lift in a car from an unknown driver, especially in remote areas.

Some people drive private cars and accept passengers for profit in areas where public transport is scarce. Such illegal taxis have serious potential problems of personal safety but in the absence of supervision and administration, the industry prospers in the suburban areas of many cities.

Public security and transport administrations need to take the matter seriously, and impose concrete actions to deal with illegal taxis and protect public security.

Young women should also remain vigilant and be alert to potential dangers. Many human tragedies and natural disasters expose Chinese people’s lack of awareness of danger and poor rescue skills and self-defense.

Self-defense training should be made part of education in China with children urgently needing to develop a strong awareness of a crisis. They should acquire basic skills of self-defense and self-help from an early age.