Transcript Personal Safety: strategies/ awareness

Personal Safety
Lunchbox Seminar
12 May 2010
Purpose
To equip you with practical strategies to
maximise your safety and enhance
your wellbeing.
Topics
•
Common trends of personal violence
•
Core concepts of personal safety
•
Dealing with confrontation
•
Safety strategies for different environments
Common Trends of Personal Violence
Victims:
• Most likely victim category?
• Risk increases/decreases with age?
Offenders:
• Most likely offender category?
• Mostly known or unknown to victim?
Common Trends: Women and Men
Women:
• More likely to be physically or sexually assaulted by a known male.
• The home is the most common location.
• Women are often physically or sexually assaulted by a drug or
alcohol affected perpetrator.
Men:
• Most often physically assaulted by an unknown male.
• The most common locations are in the open and at licensed
premises.
• The majority of physical assaults are alcohol or drug related
and almost half involving more than one offender.
ABS 2007: Australian Social Trends: Interpersonal Violence
.
Core Concepts of Personal Safety
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Right to safety
Keeping violence in perspective
Commitment
Confidence
Body language
Awareness of surroundings
Trusting and acting on instincts
Assertiveness
Networks
Personal Safety Plan
Dealing with Confrontation
There are no all-purpose strategies to preserve our personal
safety in all situations.
Do whatever you believe will best preserve your safety.
Factors to consider:
 your strengths
 environmental factors
 the perceived motivation/s of those who may be
threatening our safety
Actions
• Escape
• Physical self defence
• Surrender money/property
• Scream
• Calling for assistance
• Negotiate
• Create a diversion
• Whatever the attacker tells you to
• Whatever will best preserve your safety
Three Reasons to Scream
1.
Adrenaline Rush - converts fear to anger, enables
defender to move faster, think quicker, strength is
multiplied
2.
Shock attacker - attacker is not expecting victim to
turn into aggressor + self defence strikes impact
more severely
3.
To draw attention to the situation
Areas of Vulnerability
Primary Targets:
1. Eyes
2. Throat
3. Groin
Secondary Targets:
– nose, kneecaps, ears, head/face
Options to Physical Self Defence
• Yell out to a fictitious person
• Verbal response - negotiate with attacker
• Fake medical conditions e.g. AIDS/Hepatitis
• Fake asthma/heart attack, epileptic fit, faint, mental
illness
• Be revolting - throw up, defecate/urinate
• Act compliant and wait for an opportunity to escape
• Anything else that you can think of to stop the
attack or create an opportunity to escape.
Situational Safety Strategies
• In the home
• In the workplace
• Out and about
• On public transport
• In the social scene
• In the car
Safety in the Home
• Basic security precautions
• Intruders
• Confrontations by a known person
• Callers to the front door or telephone
• Internet safety
Safety in the Workplace
• General strategies
• Working early or late
• Workplace harassment
Safety Out and About
• Carrying bags or valuables
• Talking to strangers
• ATMs
• Walking or jogging alone
• Being followed
Safety on Public Transport
• General safety options
• Harassment
• Buses
• Citytrains
• Taxis
Safety in the Social Scene
• Tips for safer drinking
• Spiked drinks
• Drugs
• Confrontations
Safety in the Car
• Maintenance and resources
• Parking
• Driving
• Being followed
• Breakdown
• Dealing with aggressive motorists
• Assisting others
Purpose Revisited
To equip you with practical strategies to
maximise your safety and enhance
your wellbeing.
Questions??