When it comes to self-defence, a safety pin is not your best bet. Safety pins are fragile and will bend. Worse, they are small and that means you do not have too much to manoeuvre with. You will have to be very close to your attacker while using it. But above all, a safety pin won't harm him. It will agitate him instead.

An Eye for an Eye

Well, if you are thinking, "there goes the one thing I thought was most effective," do not worry. Dr. Komal says that you might not even need to carry weapons with you. According to her, most attacks start off with just a look.

When the predator looks at you he is waiting for a reaction. Do not shy away, or he will think you are an easy target. Glaring will not help either. It will only provoke him. Simply maintain eye contact for a couple of seconds and then look away. So he knows that you are aware of his presence.

The Silent Treatment

You are walking home after a long day at work. Suddenly, this roadside Romeo starts whistling the tune of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai or some other cheesy song. Then a bunch of dim wits burst into a guffaw. Your first reaction is to shout out some abuses. But, hold your tongue!

Never use any kind of abusive language. It is best to ignore any kind of verbal eve teasing. If he tries to initiate a conversation by asking you the time or for directions, reply to the point. Do not engage in any further dialogue.

Be Aware!

Never be caught off guard. Parvez Mistri, Founder of the Academy of Martial Arts says, "When a woman is aware of her surroundings half the battle is won."

Walk with your shoulders pulled back and look straight ahead. Always use the footpath. It is less distracting. You do not have to worry about cars dashing into you.

"Studies show that a rapist or molester is not interested in his victim's figure. He is more interested in whether she will cause him any trouble or not," says Parvez. If you feel there is a potential danger create a hullabaloo. Do not be embarrassed to scream and alert the people around you. Once you have public support you will be safe.

But you must be careful when you do this. Make sure that the people around you are the kind who will be ready to help. Also if the eve teaser or attacker has company, it would be better to ignore them. If possible approach the nearest police station or alert a cop.