It's Very Important You Follow These Steps If You Face Danger

This should deter the aggressors from making a move to harm you and will allow you to seek help from a stranger or by using your phone. When in doubt, make lots of noise. This too will act as a deterrent, as the aggressors do not want to draw attention to themselves.

Do not go home if there is nobody there to help you. While it might seem like the most appealing and safe place to be, if you are being followed and live alone, it could be the least safe place to go. The moment you open your door you might find that the aggressors push in after you.

Call The Police

Once you are able to use your phone, call the police. It does not matter if nothing has happened yet. If you get the feeling someone intends to do you harm, has followed you, or is intimidating you, call the police before anything more can happen.

Many police authorities these days are using a very high-tech form of data collection for evidence that harm was committed or that there was intent to harm. This software, developed by NICE Public Safety & Justice, can collect information about the suspects and their movements. This could amount to them being charged and prevent them from harming anyone in the future. This should be reason enough to call the police. Protect yourself and others from harm.

It is also a good idea to be fairly loud about your call, as this will ensure that anyone in the vicinity will be aware that you are calling for help and that the police are on their way.

Call A Friend or Family Member

Another great deterrent for potential muggings or other attacks is to call a friend or family member. Tell them where you are and what is going on, and stay on the phone with them until you are somewhere safe.

This tactic hits two birds with one stone. On the one hand, the aggressor will see that you are talking to someone and that person will know something is wrong if your conversation is interrupted. On top of this, calling a friend or family member allows you to reach out for help. Maybe they can come and pick you up, direct you to a safe place, or simply know where you are and that they will need to raise the alarm if something happens.

This will serve to calm your nerves and keep you grounded as well as force the potential aggressor to rethink their intentions.

In fact, this idea is so widespread these days that some local areas now have a helpline you can call if you are walking alone. These lines provide someone to talk to you while you walk so that you feel safer and aggressors are less likely to approach you.

Be Assertive, Not Aggressive

If you are forced into face-to-face communication with your aggressor, remember to be assertive but not aggressive. Do not contradict the aggressor, as this could inflame the situation and cause them to act out in anger. Do not get sarcastic, argumentative, or defensive. Any attitude that causes the aggressor to feel more wound up will put you in more danger.

Be strong, breathe, focus on keeping yourself safe, and calmly try to defuse the situation. This could be by agreeing to give the aggressor your purse, or else simply by saying nothing at all. You do not want to give the aggressor any reason to turn violent if they do not intend to.

Do Not Try To Reason With An Irrational Person

If you find yourself in a position where an irrational, angry or unstable person is threatening you, stay calm and quiet. There is no point in trying to explain something to someone who is not being rational. Remember that all hate crimes such as racism, homophobia, or xenophobia are not rational and so cannot be defused with a well-reasoned argument.

Talk to people around you for support, call for help, and try to stay in an area with witnesses, but do not engage with a person who is irrationally hateful or aggressive. This will only put you in danger as their irrational hate will be more focused on you.

Summing Up…

To sum up, when you feel you are being followed or threatened, try to get to a populated place. If you are driving, head to a busy car park, if you are on foot, head to a shop, police station, or busy street. While you head to a safer place, call the police. Their clever evidence-gathering technology and quick response times can not only save you from harm but prevent more people from being hurt by the same aggressor.

You can also call a friend or family member to talk to while you find a safe place and wait for help. This will deter the aggressor and calm your mind. If you are forced to engage with the aggressor, be assertive but not aggressive and do not try to reason with, explain anything to, or calm down an irrational person. Stay safe out there!

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