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. Right to safety
2. Keeping violence in perspective
3. Commitment
4. Confidence
5. Body language
6. Awareness of surroundings
7. Trusting and acting on instincts
8. Assertiveness
9. Networks
10. 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??