HEADPHONES AND SMARTPHONES If there is one common thread to all the surveillance videos of male-on-female attacks that I have studied over the years, it is the presence of headphones on the woman’s head. When you wear headphones, you lose environmental awareness. When you take away your sense of hearing, you’ve handicapped yourself before an assailant even enters the picture. Without your sense of hearing, you’re a prime target for mugging, sexual assault, and any other crime that relies on the element of surprise.
