Client: Steve Lane
Copyright 2008 Steve Lane
Protection from Crime: Keeping Yourself and Your Loved Ones Safe
It is important for everyone to know basic skills to protect yourself from crime. Instead of feeling frightened and helpless, you can give yourself a sense of empowerment and a feeling of security.
Most criminals will prey on people who make themselves victims. What does this mean? If you leave yourself vulnerable and open to attack, you are an easy target for a predator to go after. On the other hand, someone who walks tall and appears confident and self-assured will likely be overlooked as too much trouble to mess with. Criminals want to attack, get what they want and get out of there as fast as possible. Any situation where there is a good chance of resistance will likely be avoided by a smart criminal. The less you make yourself an easy target, the less likely you will be the victim of a crime.
An important lesson people, especially women, need to learn is that you never know who is listening. Many women, while chatting on the cell phone, tend to list off everything on their agenda that day. A potential attacker only has to hide out of sight and listen to find out exactly what she will be doing and where. The result is she just provided him with the means and opportunity to attack her. Also, anyone on a cell phone is a good target because they are preoccupied and aren't paying attention to anyone or anything around them.
Keep Children Safe:
If you have children, you are now responsible for your own safety as well as theirs. The most likely places for a parent to let down their guard are in busy grocery or other large stores. This is a golden opportunity for someone to snatch your child. It is even easier if you are near a door or an exit because the attacker can take your child and be out of sight very quickly. Other ways to be sure your child is protected from crime are:
� Keep your child in front of you and in your line of vision. Letting them lag behind is inviting someone to come from behind and take them when you aren't looking.
� Protect personal information. Information such as the child's name or a sibling's name or a favorite toy can give a potential attacker enough information to gain the child's trust.
� Develop a code question. Information that only a select few people would know, like a relative's name, will alert the child to danger. If the person can't answer the question, your child will know to stay away from them.
� Know where the safety areas are in your surroundings. You should know where busy, well-lit buildings and emergency places like police or fire stations are located. If you sense danger, get to one of them.
Avoid Danger:
Another important point in learning protection from crime is to know when to fight back and when to run. If the attacker is only after your money, just give it to him and get away. Listen to him and answer any questions directly. He will likely leave without any further trouble once he has what he wants.
If you are physically attacked and the person has a hold of you, you will have to fight back. Unfortunately, some people who have taken self-defense classes forget what they need to do because they are under pressure and scared. There are two rules of thumb:
� Confuse, then leave. Say something that will give your attacker pause to stop and think.
� Stun and run. Use a defense technique that will temporarily disable your attacker, a hand to the bridge of his nose or a knee to his groin are good examples.
Either of these methods will give you a chance to get away.
Generally, if you have managed to put twenty feet between yourself and the attacker and you have been yelling and drawing attention, the criminal will likely flee to avoid capture.
Protection from crime involves using your head. Consider some of the situations you get yourself into on a regular basis. If you are always distracted by the phone, or you follow a regular routine every day, or you tend to be lax about locking your car or your home, you are leaving yourself wide open to be a victim of crime. This is true whether you are a man, woman or child. Be aware of your surroundings and the potential dangers.