Well, being MMA and my daughter being a black belt, one reason I put her through it, so she could hold her own. Me, I just make a comment and they usually chose to leave. My daughter, had a few confrontations, she warned them or her friends made the warning, then she opened a whole new can o whooped butt! Being confident doesn't always work, but blocking the threat before it escalate sometimes helps. Yes women are mor vulnerable due to the mentality that some men have of them being a weaker sex.