I often have said, that in the "heat of the moment," it's just about all one can do, to identify a threat, look for a weapon and be able to respond/react in time to save your life. I just don't see the brain, other than way back in the subconscious processing factors of age or gender of the assailant.
When teenagers or women break into a house, or put a gun or other weapon in someones face, age and gender have little to do with it.
I am stopping a treat to my life. If it turns out to be a 13 year old, too bad for them!
Now I've had the luxury (if you want to call it that) of personally seeing the damage, death and destruction at the hands of juveniles too many times, including rape and murder to lose any sleep over it if it happens to me. But I tend to be a little callous or jaded when it comes to death and seeing the results of violent crime.
What I look at is, was there a threat? Was there a weapon or means to substantiate that threat? And was I in jeopardy? If those exist, I don't see me losing much sleep over it. Of course, I will only know for sure, if it actually happens, one day, but I believe I have got a pretty good grip with that and have already come to terms with it.
