There’s no denying that the world seems to be becoming a more dangerous place, and more people are falling victim to crimes in their hometown and even on their own streets. There is an infinite number of reasons why this is happening depending on where you live, but what you do is take steps to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

Statistics show that it takes around seven seconds for a criminal to select their target, so if you’re aware of what makes a criminal pick their target, you can massively reduce the risk they’re going to pick you. There are seven ways to do this that we’re going to focus on today.

  1. Be Aware

If you’re lost in your own world, daydreaming as you walk down the street or scrolling down your phone, then you’re not aware of what’s going on around you, and a criminal will be more willing to take advantage. Be aware of what’s going on around you, and you’ll be able to react if anything does happen.

  1. Hide Your Belongings

Whether you’re taking money out of the bank, putting your expensive smartphone into your back pocket, or you’re putting car keys into your bag, make sure you’re discrete about what you’re putting where. If you’re obvious with what you’re doing, you’re allowing criminals to see exactly what they need to do to get your stuff.

  1. Walk with Confidence

If you’re walking slowly, shuffling along, and looking weak or aimless, then criminals are much more likely to take advantage of you because you give the impression you look like an easy target. Instead, walk with your back straight and with a confident stride, and people will instantly think not to mess with you.

  1. Learn to Protect Yourself

To become naturally more confident, you can learn to protect yourself. You could practice martial arts or some other kind of self-defense. You could also carry a concealed weapon that will allow you to feel safe while out and about, thus giving criminals the air that you’re confident in yourself.

To carry a weapon, you’ll need to go on an LTC, and you can find out why this LTC course is the best for you here if you’re living in the state of Texas. Carrying pepper spray can have the same effect.

  1. Travel in Numbers

If you can help it, always travel in numbers because one criminal isn’t going to attack a group of a few people. You have the numbers advantage. This is ideal advice to follow if you need to travel late at night. If you can’t travel with people, try to stick to crowded, populated areas where other people will help deter criminals.

  1. Glance at People

While you may want to avoid looking at people, giving people a quick glance, one or two seconds max, is a great way to acknowledge someone and to let them know you’re aware that they’re around you. Glance at people, and this can be offputting since most criminals will want to take you by surprise.

  1. Don’t Draw Attention to Yourself

Let’s say you’re walking down the street shouting that you’re super drunk. Drawing attention to yourself in this way, especially in a vulnerable state like being drunk, is going to get criminals looking at you and targeting you. Instead, stay as inconspicuous as possible to remain undetected.

Summary

As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can deter someone from engaging with you. It’s all about the signs, the energy, and the body language you give off as you go about your day. However, with a bit of awareness towards yourself and others, you can actively lower the risk that you’ll become a target.