How Not to Be a Victim of a Personal Attack | Lifestyle

How Not to Be a Victim of a Personal Attack

by TeresaBernard

Unfortunately personal attacks are a very common crime in our society today. Whichever form it may be, a robbery or assault, it is one of the most insidious invasions of our personal safety. Why does an attacker pick one individual to become his victim and not another? What do they look for when they choose their victim? Attackers are very good at noticing the signs of a potential victim. It's a good idea to know what these signs are so you can circumvent the likely hood of becoming the next potential victim of crime.

Attackers look for easy marks. Someone who appears to be defenseless, passive and oblivious to the events going on around. They want a target who is not capable or is too passive to fight back. This type of person is easy to attack by surprise. You should know that your likely hood of becoming a victim is susceptible to the signals you are unknowingly projecting to an attacker. Our body language and non-verbal cues are the unconscious signals that make up 80-90% of our communication to others. Either knowingly or unknowingly, assailants will form an opinion about you from these signals to determine how easy you will be to overpower and control.

Fortunately there are ways to reduce your chances of being an attack victim. If these creeps look for individuals who appear to be subdued, passive and distracted, then you must portray the opposite. One way is to convey an air of confidence. Confidence is a non-victim quality. The more confident or self-assured one appears, the less likely are the chances of becoming "the mark". An attacker will avoid a subject who appears capable of resistance and difficult to subdue. Any display of strength or defiance, whether blatant or implied, is often sufficient to cause a predator to seek out an easier target. One way to portray self-assurance would be to walk with your head held upright, at a brisk pace as if with a purpose and look alert.

Another way to reduce your probability of becoming a victim is to be acutely aware of your surroundings at all times. By becoming more aware of your surroundings, you not only increase the odds of detecting a potential attacker, you also project an image of vigilance. Pay attention to who is around you and what activities or events are going on at all times. Notice everyone walking toward you and look them in the eye. Criminals look for potential victims who are distracted and off guard. So put away those "electronic toys!" Get off your cell phone, iPod, PDA and laptop. Using these gadgets in public places like parking garages, malls, parks, etc., can lessen your ability to detect potential danger and makes you an easy mark. If you are distracted and not paying attention you might not even realize you are going to be attacked until it is too late to escape.

In addition to depicting self-confidence and being keenly alert, it would be wise to protect yourself from harm by carrying a few standard self-defense devices such as a personal alarm, pepper spray and/or stun gun. A personal alarm is the perfect self-defense device for drawing attention to yourself when needed. These small, inexpensive items are easily carried and emit a loud and extremely obnoxious noise. Pepper spray is a non-lethal aerosol spray made with the pepper derivative oleoresin capsicum (OC). Sprayed in the face and/or eyes of a mugger, it will irritate the eyes, cause tears, pain, and even in some cases, momentary blindness. A stun gun is a self-defense weapon designed to temporarily disable an assailant by delivering a non-lethal, high-voltage electric shock. You must remember security devices will not keep you safe if you do not use them.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

To find out more about self-defense products like personal alarms, pepper spray or stun guns visit www.a1selfdefenseproducts.com.