In the past many thought that women were only at risk of being attacked in public.
This has now become an issue with all.

With the economy in the dumps, people struggling just to survive, crime and assaults are growing on a daily basis. When statistics state 1 out of four women will be assaulted and now the stats are including men, teens, elderly and so on, Its time to back up and take a look at what we are doing wrong in protecting ourselves and loved ones.

Everyday we here of someone either being attacked or even worse killed and its not just in the areas we would consider bad neighborhoods.

There is a lot of information out there to help us, we just have to look for it.

I have started collecting this information and have included it in free articles listed on my website under the personal
safety section.

I am in the process of planning out and finding the people to put in place to start our 2010 crusade on personal safety. I am finding that a lot of the personal attacks could have been prevented with a little knowledge. Along with knowledge there are a lot of products on the market to help us. These products along with the knowledge of being prepared, and not being caught in places we should not be, can change the percentages on being attacked tremendously.

Knowledge is the biggest key to staying safe.

Criminals look for the weak and unaware to victimize.

Three keys to staying safe are:
Walk with your head up paying attention to what and who is around you.
( most attackers are waiting for the element of surprise)

When walking to your car have your keys in hand and ready prior to entering the parking area.
(Fumbling around looking for key while walking to your car make you an easy target)

Always park in well lit areas where people can see you and you them. Think about this before you leave your car.

*Key note: If attacked the key to drawing attention is to yell “FIRE.” This will draw more people to you than anything else.

Remember, being prepared is the key. Knowing what is going on around you will help you avoid a lot of situations. Attackers are looking for easy targets. Do your best not to fall so deep into what you are doing that you make yourself an easier target.

Look for later editions with more key note on how to stay safe.

1. Pepper Spray:

Pepper Spray allows you to defend yourself against attackers of any size. It provides you with a very effective means of quickly neutralizing an attacker giving you ample time to escape. Its effects are devastating to the attacker but are temporary and short lived, usually lasting about 20 minutes or so. These defensive sprays come in a wide variety of styles and many are even concealed in every day items such as cell phones and lipstick cases. Pepper Spray is legal in all 50 states however some states and cities do have some restrictions so it’s always best to check with your local authorities.

2. Improving your safety while walking on city streets:

Try and have someone with you while walking city streets. There is safety in numbers and attacks are less likely to occur if you are with other people. iPods or other devices that use headphones should not be used when walking. Criminals look for easy targets and not only are the headphones a good sign that you are not paying attention to what’s going on around you, but the devices they are attached to can also be a tempting target of thieves. If you are confronted by someone looking to cause you harm, yell, scream and attract as much attention to yourself as possible. The unwanted attention may be enough to scare away your attacker.

3. Improving your safety while using a taxi other public transportation:

Always use a licensed taxi or car service. Avoid the “Town Cars” that often cruise the streets looking to solicit rides. This practice is common at airports and other public transportation terminals and is unlawful in many states and cities. Many public taxi companies have the operator’s license posted in the rear of the cab for your inspection. Look for it and compare the photo to the driver.

4. Personal alarms equal personal safety:

As I have said many times over, if you are approached by an attacker make as much noise as you can. But what if you are grabbed from behind and the attacker covers your mouth? Personal Alarms are very inexpensive devices that you carry in a pocket, on your belt, or even in your hand and when you pull a small pin it activates an ear piercing siren sure to scare away even the most determined of criminals. Some personal alarms even have built in strobe lights that will temporarily blind and disorient an attacker. Many of these devices can be easily adapted to act as door and window guards as well.

5. Improving your safety while alone at work:

Do you have a job that requires you to meet other people at different locations? Real Estate Sales People for example often meet perspective buyers at different properties. It may be better to meet someplace public like a diner or coffee shop first. You can obtain identification and other personal details there rather than at the property. Always leave word with a co-worker of your meeting plans, including location, times and names of customers. This information will be crucial to an investigation should something unexpected happen to you. Always have some type of defensive spray with you when dealing with clients you are not familiar with.

6. Improving your safety when riding a bicycle:

In most states bicycles are required to follow all the rules of the road. You must travel with the flow of traffic and stop at red lights and stop signs. Avoid riding on sidewalks as this can be hazardous to both you and the pedestrians walking. Try and stay on well traveled roads and avoid alleys and other shortcuts. These places are prime locations for attackers to hide and wait for a potential victim to walk or pedal by. Wear the required safety helmets and other protective gear. A fall from a bicycle can lead to some very serious injuries, even at very low speeds.

7. Improving your safety when living with a roommate:

When looking to find someone to share a house or apartment with newspaper ads or online services can be very helpful. Be sure and not list any specific address of the place you want to share. List only your first name and a way for interested persons to contact you. It is a good idea as always to meet potential roommates in a public location. Be guided by your first impressions of a person. If you get a really bad feeling its better to part ways at this point then allow the situation to progress and have to deal with the mess later on. Before settling on a roommate, ask for references and CHECK THEM OUT! Many private investigation companies and security firms offer a background check service. Spending a few dollars now to know that the person you are about to live with is who they say they are can be money well spent.

8. Improving your safety on the Internet:

Be aware of what information you are sharing on websites. Do not provide your full name, address, and telephone number unless you are 100% sure of who you are giving it to. Do not follow links in unknown e mails. There are many scams out there and your e mail inbox is likely flooded with offers that sound really tempting. Common sense should prevail but often times we experience a moment of weakness and will open an attachment or follow a link and it ends in disaster.

9. Improving your safety while handling cash:

If part of your job includes carrying large amounts of cash you need to be extra careful. Often criminals will watch a particular store for weeks or even months before deciding to commit a crime against an employee. Always let someone know you are leaving for the bank. If at all possible travel in pairs, this way one person can make the deposit while the other remains vigilant to any form of attack. Do not carry the cash receipts in the bag provided by the bank. Place it inside a second bag to make it look less like a bag of cash. Always do a visual check of the bank property while approaching. Look for any strange vehicles or people lurking by ATM’s or night depositories. If you have a bad feeling about someone or something, trust your instincts and leave immediately. Call the local police and wait for help. Its far better to have called the police and have it turn out to be nothing then to walk into a potentially deadly situation.

10. Improving your safety on a first date:

If you find yourself answering online dating service ads you need to be extremely careful. ALWAYS arrange meetings in public places. Never allow yourself to be trapped in a private location arranged by a stranger. Make sure a close friend or relative knows where you will be meeting and at what time. These meetings are best arranged in the daytime as opposed to in the evening or later at night. Pepper Spray is a must in this situation. One of the disguised models, such as a spray hidden in a lipstick case would be perfect. A personal alarm would also be recommended.

Protecting yourself and other people is very important. This is what personal safety training covers. It covers things such as cleanliness, self-awareness, your clothes and your food. If you put all these things together in a good way daily, you will be able to live in safety and health.

It is important to be clean for it will prevent you from infections from a number of diseases. Note that keeping your mouth clean has significance to your overall health. You can learn how to make sure that you are always clean from personal safety training and how to avoid infections caused by bacteria.

It is possible that you do not know that clothes are a major point to consider in personal safety. This is because if you put on clothes that are not well fitting or are of the wrong type of fabric, they can harm your body. This happens especially because not everyone has someone to personally train them on safety and therefore do not know that they can harm their bodies. You can get infections easily if you wear clothes that are not breathable. Wearing very tight garments will prevent oxygen from getting into some parts of your body especially hands and legs. Chances of injury are high if you wear non-supportive shoes. To prevent these injuries you can get materials on safety training from your doctor or from other persons who work in the healthcare industry.

The other thing that is very important for your personal safety is what you eat and the amount of exercise you perform. Note that some of the food or drinks you consume cause harm to your body. They cause damage in the long term and it is hard to notice it currently. The advantage of safety training is that you can be able to prevent diseases that come from eating or drinking harmful substances. You can also injure your body by lifting weights that are too heavy or taking part in hard exercises. It is important to ask questions before using exercise equipment that you have not previously used because even before people become experts, they have to ask questions.

There are many factors involved in self-awareness and personal safety. One is how healthy you are mentally because if you are mentally ill or depressed you will probably not take good care of yourself. Other things in your life can influence your mental health like the relationships with people close to you. They may bring stress to your life, so you should seek relationships that involve doing positive activities. The other thing that self-awareness includes is the environment around you. For example, you may do your shopping alone in the night and in order to stay safe, you should know how the surroundings are. Self-awareness will also be of advantage because you will avoid activities that can harm you. It is therefore important to get personal safety training so that you can learn what you need to do to lower the risk of harming your body.

It is also important to ensure that you get adequate sleep daily so that you will prevent injury. Lack of enough sleep will affect you mentally and physically. The reason for this is that a body deprived of sleep does not function well even if you eat well or exercise a lot.