In the society we live in today, an unfortunate reality is that a large percentage of us will be victims of crime in our lifetimes. Much of that crime will include being mugged, or otherwise attacked on the streets of our cities or towns. If you were attacked on the street, would you know what to do? Would you know how to protect yourself? If not, then read this article. It just might save your life someday.
The first thing to do is to arm yourself before this happens. Do not wait on crime to come along to take steps to protect yourself. Nobody wants to be a victim of crime, but it is the reality that we face. Arming yourself does not mean going out and getting a gun necessarily. Arming yourself can mean something as simple as mace on a key chain. Putting a can of mace in your bag should be a minimum. Some people keep a gun, and that is your right to do so, but a large number of gun holders get shot with their own gun. If you carry a gun, make sure you know how to use it, and never show it unless you are willing to pull the trigger.
Air horns are also highly effective means of deterring a mugger or attacker. Put one of the little ones in your purse as well. The biggest key is to always have these things at the ready when you are in risky situations. Which brings us to step two.
Many crime victims can be saved simply by not going into the situation they were attacked in. This means that you need to know where to avoid. Avoid parking in areas where their is no traffic or people. Avoid dark, secluded areas, particularly at night. Avoid any places that is known to be crime ridden. These three things will take your risk and drastically reduce it right off the bat.
Even if you are able to do these things, you still could potentially be at risk. Anyone can be attacked anywhere. That is an important thing to remember. As you travel along to your car or your destination, your head should be on a swivel and awareness should always be high. You should always try to have someone with you, and never go to your car alone at night.
If you are in a vulnerable situation, then be sure to have your security at hand. If you have a cell phone, then have someone on the line as you go to your car while still keeping your awareness high. Have your hand at the ready on your air horn or mace.
At this point, if you are attacked you are ready for them. If an attacker simply is trying to mug you, then give them what they want. It is not worth risking an encounter with someone that might just want your property. Do not fight over these things. Give them what they want and do not look at them in the face. Still, keep your eyes on their torso so you will know if they are about to attack. Looking away can be very dangerous.
There are only a few things that should signal you to fight. If an attacker tries to move you to another location, such as into a car or other vehicle, then you should fight like mad. If they are looking to take you somewhere else, they have plans that are never good. You are better off to fight there in public and hope that somebody sees you or hears you. Scream, kick, or gouge their eyes. Anything to keep them from relocating you is a good thing.
Another time to fight is more obvious. If you are attacked, do everything in your power to get away. Docile people end up very hurt if the attacker is violent with you right away. Fight for your life if need be. This is particularly true of women.
Another key to survival in these situations is to always stay calm unless they are attacking or trying to move you. If you are calm the odds are better that they will be calm as well. Never escalate a situation and only speak when asked a question.
The odds of you being attacked at some point in your life are decent enough that you should arm yourself with knowledge and know what to do ahead of time. This does not mean going through your life scared by any means, but it does mean that you should be prepared for the worst.
