[CosmicRose]

I have PTSD and it narrows down certain places where I would feel "safe" working at. The only places I would really feel safe at would be hospitals. Other places would be office type work environments, but literally everywhere else I can think of makes me feel unsafe. Working night shift would make me feel afraid, working in hotels, kitchens, restaurants, grocery stores, or very public places would make me feel edgy or less safe.
I guess my question is, what are some "Safe" work environments for a petite woman in her 20s? Hospitals? That's literally the only thing I can think of and its kind of narrowing my options a little bit.

Background - before I got "attacked" I was brought up with a very over-protective parent who basically taught me that I should be protected at all times because the world isn't safe...also I'm a very petite attractive woman in my 20s and I'm not even exaggerating when I say men stare at me all the time when I enter buildings like I'm a piece of meat for sale. I literally have to turn guys down from asking my number whenever I just go grocery shopping, I'm not trying to boast or sound conceited, but this raises my fear level and it makes me really uncomfortable so I'm trying to find a "Safe" work environment where I won't be in a shady place, working shady hours, being alone or in potentially dangerous situations.

Please don't just say, "Go see a therapist" because I'm already aware that I should feel safe everywhere. I'm working on it.

[IceCreamKid]

I'm going to tell you to see a therapist or take a self-defense class. Your choice, because in today's world it is no longer rational to think you should "feel safe everywhere."

By the way, unattractive people get attacked, too. It's impossible to get inside an attacker's head because each attacker has his or her own warped reasons for harming others. Now that I am older I get sized up by people who might be thinking of snatching my purse. I carry a cane and have no hesitation in carrying it like a stick I'd gladly whack someone with--this has caused more than one suspicious looking guy to make a wide berth around me. And that is okay with me.

Don't be afraid to be obnoxious in public. Crooks and perverts count on their victims to be weak, polite, compliant, or too afraid to shout, fight back, run away, or just simply not let them get too close in the first place. Stop replying to men approaching you in public and learn to say "Beat it or I'll call a cop/security/whatever fits." Decent men don't harass women.

You might want to invest in a pair of glasses that have tinted lenses. Not so shaded as to be dangerous to wear in dim places, but so that there is a barrier between you and all these men who are looking at you all the time. Presenting yourself as busy, assertive, knowing where you are going, unafraid and unapproachable is a good idea too. Not fumbling for your keys, distractedly talking on the phone, carrying your bag hanging open, or looking down at the ground.

Hospitals are public places and definitely are not any safer than restaurants or grocery stores. Hospitals draw just as many crooks as other public places. I think you're best off working day shift in a place that takes security seriously, and if you are asked to do things that you think are unsafe on the job (such as working late) don't be afraid to ask for a safe compromise (security walks you to your car, for example).

I hope this helps

[hvert]

I agree that hospitals wouldn't be my number one choice for safe. I wonder if you would get used to a store or other environment that seems slightly risky now after a week or two? I find that I acclimate much more quickly than I expect sometimes.

It doesn't really help you now, but as you get older, those comments and the constant attention does stop.

[guilloche]

I've worked for some big, public corporations... and they feel pretty safe. Everyone has a background check and drug test when hired, HR is usually pretty on top of things (because the companies are well-known and large, something bad happening would be a PR nightmare, I imagine), and there's usually security on-site.

I mostly work from home these days, but when I go into the office - you need to use a badge to unlock the front door, and there's a security guard there. People without a badge need to sign in and have someone from the building escort them in.

Another job I had, if I'm remembering right, had super security (like, I think a metal detector and x-ray machine for your bags!) - actually two jobs like this. One was because the business was located in the same building as manufacturing, and they were watching out for thefts (and cameras, I think? so that nobody could record the manufacturing process), and the other was a brief stint in a government building.

So maybe something like that would help? These were also all typical day jobs - like 8-5 type hours, so no late hours, and no access for random members of the public.