According to the US Department of Justice, one in six women has been a victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault in America.
It's a growing concern including here in central Ohio where some very high profile assaults have occurred including OSU student Reagan Tokes who was killed by her attacker in 2017.
Deputy Laura Stahr is a self-defense instructor with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department and for a program called 'R.A.D'- Rape, Aggression, Defense.
"It teaches women practical self-defense strategies that is all physical," Stahr said.
Another option women can use to protect themselves are self-defense weapons which some might call extreme defense.
The weapons range from pepper spray to miniature hand-held knives. The devices are designed to strike back at the attacker and can also collect DNA.
With each weapon, self-defense experts say there is one 'must-do' before you use them.
Stahr says even with the training, you may not react correctly with the weapons when the time comes.
"Some of that skill they just forget because they are not comfortable with it. They aren't as skilled with it that they may forget it's in their hand to be able to use it and deploy it," she said.
If you choose to use them, these are weapons designed to injure and protect.
For any woman who feels unsafe, these are weapons that ultimately are designed for you to get away.