Tips on How to Protect Yourself From Violence

Protecting yourself from a Sexual Assault

1. When identifying yourself in a phone listing or on your mailbox only use your initials. Avoid using your first name.
2. When in a public laundry room or in a parking garage, try to not be alone.
3. When on the phone or answering the door do not admit you’re alone.
4. Accepting a ride home from a person you have recently met can be a very risky.
5. Keep in mind that should you choose to resist an assault physically, the number one goal is to incapacitate the attacker long enough to run to safety and get help. Carrying a small self defense pepper spray can help.
6. Should the worse happen and your become a sexual assault victim, contact the police right away. In order to keep from destroying evidence, don’t change your clothes nor should you bathe.

Protecting yourself from a Robbery

1. Try not to have large amounts of cash nor should you keep valuable items with you.
2. Plan and think ahead. As an example, keep your your keys ready to enter the house or to start the car, especially at night. Carrying a personal protection weapon is a great idea.
3. Often the best advice, should a robber confront you, is cooperate.
   Be aware that your chances of being hurt greatly increase should you choose to resist.

Protect yourself at ATM Bank Machines

1. Be alert of anyone suspicious near you when at the ATM.
   When you’re alone at night the odds of being robbed increase greatly.
2. Should there be anyone watching or waiting near or around the Automatic Teller Machine, don’t use it. After you vacate the area, call the police right away to report the situation. It is highly likely that this will keep someone else from being a victim of crime.

Street Self-Defense a Common Sense approach to Personal Protection

1. walk alone, steer clear of known trouble areas. Keep in a busy and well light area.
2. Keep your purse near to your body instead of carrying it with the handles. Avoid wrapping the straps of your purse around your wrist, this will keep you from getting hurt during a struggle.
3. Carry only what you need in a purse or wallet, not everything you have.
4. Using a vacant lot, dark alley or vacant lot as a shortcuts should always be avoided.
5. Should you feel you are being followed, change directions and cross the street a few times. Quickly move into a well-lighted area with lots of people. Don’t head home, if you are being followed the last thing you want is for an attacker to have knowledge of where you live.