As a single mother who does not like guns, what should I get to defend my home?

Question

Sometimes, I wonder what would happen if someone broke in. I've been told that because I am a small woman, I would be laughed at if I approached with a baseball bat. I've also been told that Mace does not have any affect on some people. I don't like dogs, in fact I'm scared of big dogs myself. So, what should I get then? I want to have a way to defend myself and my two small children other than a burglar alarm.

Answer 1

I would have a security system BUT be careful about the company. My friend got one and it kept going off and they actually got charged for it after so many times.

I would also have a recording of a BIG, JUNK YARD DOG and have it set on a motion detector. After say 10:00pm, set the recording and go to bed. If nothing else, they will think you have a dog and they may actually leave.

I would also take self defense classes. Your knowledge can't be taken away from you and used to harm you or you kids.

I also really like what the lady said about the homemade pepper spray.

Hope this has helped.

Answer 2

I was attacked as a kid by a large dog so I understand the fear of them. I am however now a proud dog owner of a huge black lab/ Rottweiler mix. She is the best protection I could ever have. She is great with my son and she is the size of a small cow :-) . If you get a puppy and you love her/him you will not only concur your fear of dogs but also have the best guard in the world. Dogs are loyal to the death. If your children are good to the dog and you are all a family, the dog will give their life to keep you guys safe. It takes time and work but it is ultimately worth it. Dogs are said to be the number one deterrent of burglars because they make noise and are territorial. Give it a thought. If big huge dogs scare you or you don't have the space look into a smaller dog like a lab or even a terrier. The noise they make is a good deterrent for intruders.

Answer 3

Best thing to do is contact the Community Relations Bureau at your local PD and have an officer come out and talk with you. They can check your home and give you advice on the best way to secure windows and doors, give you advice on alarm systems and what to do and not to do in certain situations.

One problem with weapons to defend yourself is, what if the person gets it away from you? You have then angered them and supplied them with a weapon to use against you. We had a case back home several years ago where a girl tried to use a bat on her roommates abusive boyfriend. He took it from her and killed her and the roommate and then fled. She should have exited the apartment and run to a neighbors rather than confront him herself.

We bought a house a couple of years ago and one of the first things we did was have an alarm system installed, mainly because my husband worked 2nd shift then and I have disabilities. We do have 3 small dogs, two of which bark, so that may help deter someone if they hear them barking inside. Many times companies have specials so check around and see what is offered in your area. Our installation was free and we could do up to 2 doors and 2 windows and anything after that was extra but it's well worth it.

You may also want to take some self-defense courses to learn how to protect yourself. Buy timers for lights and TVs in the house so they come on if you aren't there. Buy the 24 hour timers and change them periodically. Leave outside lights on every night or get motion detector lights so if anyone comes near the house, they immediately come on. We are going to check into getting a motion dector light for the front porch, not only for our protection but also to help us see if we forget to turn the light on and it's dark when we return home.

Keep drapes pulled at night. Blinds are ok but if someone is lurking, they can still see in through the holes so I always put thicker/heavier drapes up, too, as an extra security. Sheers don't work well and can still be seen through.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times and if you suspect someone is inside when you get home, leave immediately to a safe place and call the police. Don't get paranoid or that can work against you, just use good old common sense and wisdom and enjoy life to the fullest :)

Answer 4

If you can bring yourself to strike any intruders from behind and frequently, a baseball bat is not a bad idea, and your small stature will not be much of a problem. If you can bring yourself to keep a firearm in the house, a shotgun loaded with buckshot is much easier than a handgun to use against any intruder. If you are worried about over-penetration, smaller birdshot will still be very effective at close range. A pump action shotgun with an empty chamber and a trigger lock would be quite safe to keep in the home, but you would have to be careful to have the key to the lock handy. Any firearm without a safety lock would be very dangerous to have in a home with children, and in many areas would leave you subject to arrest for child endangerment.

Answer 5

If you are worried about home ivasion or someone breaking in here are some little knows facts and truths.

1. A security system, with cameras and sirens etc is often called a "body recovery system" by those in law enforcement with refenernce to stopping someone intent on doing harm.

2. This said a security system with an alarm with frighten some home invaders away. Other more educated assailants will know they have only 5-10 minutes befor ethey have to get out.

3. Even if you don't like guns you could put up a sign saying asomehting on the order of "This home protected by Smith and Wesson. If the sign has a picture of a handgun or something it wouldn't hurt. Most criminals tend to shy away from homes where they know the owners have guns.



In states where right to carry laws have passed, violent crime against women has dropped by up to 50%.

Answer 6

I see that a lot of answerers ignore the "does not like guns"
part of your question...but it might be something to research.
Do you have good doors, and door locks ? Ditto for the windows. I've never been around Mace, but I wouldn't discount it because "Mace does not have any effect on some people"...maybe you'll get lucky and YOUR burglar will suffer
from Mace allergy.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Take a self defense class. Size doesn't matter when your trained in self defense. I know your scared of big dogs, but most intruders are scared off by the bark not the size. A small dog that makes alot of noise is a great deterrent. Also, teach your children what to do in an emergency and have a "code word" for them to know if something is wrong and to call 911. No one should ever live in fear.

Answer 8

Short of getting good locks and barrier protection and possibly a dog, a person like yourself who is afraid of guns would NOT be able to defend themselves effectively against an armed attacker or intruder with mace, or even a baseball bat.

Answer 9

Install motion lights around the house and get a small dog. It will be good for the children and they bark at anything that moves. I have three dogs, so I don't worry about burglars, when I answer the door they are surrounding me barking. One of them actually will bite, but the other two are just barkers, but the criminals don't know that.

Answer 10

Let me ask you this...

What are you going to do when an evil man breaks into your house just because he thinks you're cute. Or he breaks in and sees your little girl or boy and beats the hell out of you and wants to take your child upstairs for a while? Have you been watching the news? This very thing happened last week. The the sick bastards poured gasoline on the little girls after they were raped and burned them to death.

Now, how are you going to defend yourself? Is a cell phone really going to protect you? Even with a baseball bat, are you going to subdue a 230 pound man?

Grow the hell up and get over your "fear of guns". What are you more afraid of?

Go down to your local gun store and ask to take the classes. They aren't expensive and they will generally provide you with a gun. After taking the classes, if you feel comfortable enough, then buy a gun. There is a reason that right is protected by the constitution.