By Staff
Graduating female students in Escambia County all received a special gift from the sheriff's department and the domestic violience unit last week: a whistle.
The whistles are designed to protect women from rape.
Unfortunately, 78 women are raped every hour in the United States, and a disproportionate number of those women are under age 24.
It's a small thing, a whistle. But if it scared off an attacker, or brought help running to a female being attacked, that small thing would pay large dividends.
If y ou are the parent of a teen-ager who received a whistle, make sure she knows how important it is to keep it with her, how to use it, and who to call in an emergency.
If you have a daughter who is younger or older than the 18-year-olds who received these gifts, Sheriff Grover Smith said he has the whistles available in his office.
It's a scary world into which we send our children each day. Hopefully, these whistles make it a bit safer.