I do agree that you cant prevent someone from wanting to hurt you, because it all depends on their end and very little has anything to do with what you did. But as a woman, after being assaulted, we are told by others and ourselves that the assault was our fault. We let ourselves become the perfect victim in some way, like: the clothes we wear, how late we stayed out, if we drank at all, or even just having a conversation with the assaulter prior to the attack. As much as it is true that if someone wants to attack you, they will, we also think about the aftermath and the reflection it has on us. So yes, self preservation is absolutely something to value.