7 Tips to Avoid Being the Victim of Violent Crime

 

  • Avoid patterns of behaviour. ​​ ​​​​ Predators rely on them to plan attacks – such as breaking into your house, or finding you unawares at the gas station.  ​​​​ So vary the times you come and go, and vary your route. ​​ 

 

 

  • Keep​​ situational awareness. ​​​​ Beware of what is normal in your office, your neighbourhood, basically any place you frequent. ​​ By knowing what is normal, you'll be able to see when things change, such as a car in the wrong place, or an abrupt departure.​​ 

 

 

  • Trust your gut. ​​​​ The inkling that something is wrong should not be ignored. ​​ Often women especially try to brush the feeling aside, but it is there for a reason. ​​ If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. ​​ 

 

 

  • Pay attention in public. ​​ ​​​​ By keeping your nose in a book or your phone, you're not focused on your surroundings.  ​​​​ Your phone, incidentally, can be grabbed out of your hands so easily and a thief could disappear off the train with it before you've even comprehended that there is a threat. ​​ If someone is looking for someone to harass or something to steal, make sure they don't pick you.

 

 

  • Have a buddy system. ​​​​ Let a friend know where you'll be and when you expect to return. ​​ Even something as innocuous as working late can be an opportunity for bad guys to seize, so make sure others know where you are.

 

 

  • Don't look like a victim. ​​​​ Do not avoid the gaze of strangers, but don't give them a hard stare either (it can be challenging). ​​ Walk confidently, don't text and walk, and keep your head up.

 

 

  • Prepare for the worst. ​​​​ Either buy a gun and be trained and prepared to use it, or take​​ self-defence classes so you have a fighting chance of survival. ​​ 

 

 

 

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