Partners Against Crime

AT HOME AWAY FROM HOME KEY CONTROL APARTMENTS AND CONDOMINIUMS
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH WALKING DRIVING ATM PUBLIC TRANSPORTION AT WORK OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IF YOU ARE ATTACKED REPORTING A CRIME

Be physically and psychologically prepared to defend yourself. Start by preparing an inventory of your personal skills. Think about how you usually respond during a confrontation. What is your style? Do you fight, run, cry or freeze? Think through various strategies. Talk with other people about ways to handle confrontations and rehearse alternatives. By preparing, you will have more options to choose from if you ever find yourself in a confrontation.

Every confrontation is different. The best response depends on a combination of many factors, such as the location of the incident, characteristics of the assailant, the presence of weapons and your personal skills and available resources. Your most effective weapon in a confrontation is your own judgment.

Only you can decide how you will respond to a given situation. When faced with danger, trust yourself. Stay as calm as possible. Think rationally, without panic. Find a way to escape.

Evaluate the situation and the options available to you. The following strategies may be effective in confrontations:

Nonresistance
Negotiating
Stalling for time
Distracting or diverting the assailant and fleeing
Verbal assertiveness
Screaming or using a personal alarm to attract attention and help from people nearby
Physically resisting and fighting off the assailant
Keep assessing the situation as it is happening. Never give up. If the first strategy you choose does not work try another strategy. Observe as much as you can about the identity, clothing and behavior of the assailant. This information will be important and useful for the police investigation.