As a kid I was picked on because I was skinny, and we moved a lot so I was also always the new kid. I got into fights constantly. I learned how to make it very costly to attack me, and was usually the last one standing. When someone violates my personal space or crosses a certain threshold, there is blood and an emergency room visit.

As an adult I still constantly scan my surroundings for threats. I estimate the potency of all other people around me, and there are sometimes moments when I know there's a guy nearby that could really cause me some trouble. I look for weapons, things nearby I could use to even the odds.

None of this is necessary today, but I still do it because of all the experiences I had as a kid. I have this problem psychologists call "hyper vigilance" which is to say that I am constantly on guard and trying to prepare to meet threats.

I would imagine that for a girl who has been a victim that the world feels for them like it does for me, except rather than 1 person in 50 having the potential to harm them, it's at least half of the population.