Security Awareness:4selfdefence

What is security awareness?
Security awareness is about people understanding every day security risks and taking precautions to avoid risks where possible for themselves, their family, assets and property with minimal inconvenience.

What or who is vulnerable and needs protecting?

Individuals and family are our first priority.

Security Awareness = Individual and Family Safety

What are we protecting ourselves from?

Murder, assault, domestic related violence, indecent assault, robbery, armed robbery, break and enter, motor vehicle theft, stealing

Who are we protecting ourselves from?

In the case of a robbery or theft we are protecting ourselves from professionals and opportunists.

Professional: In this case we would consider a professional as some one who premeditates his or her actions, uses a plan.

Opportunist: In this case we would consider an opportunist as some one who sees an opportunity and acts without a plan.

In the case of a robbery a professional and or an opportunist must be given an opportunity to make us a victim, regardless of whether the robber is a professional or an opportunist if he does not get what he wants he can become very aggressive and you could be injured or killed. Our best defense is to make ourselves a hard target,

In the case of assault, sexual attacks or murder we could be protecting ourselves form a stranger or someone we know.

Stranger: In this case we should take security precautions by following basic security measures.

Someone we know; how do we defend against this? Avoid people who you know are violent. Don’t think you can change a violent person, if someone you know attacks you use the self defence techniques you are taught and make sure you go to the police.

What is the likely hood of becoming a victim:

All activities carry some risk, in your house, catching public transport, going to social events, walking through a park or even walking home at night. We all have different perceptions of risk. At one end of the scale are people refusing to engage in an activity by perceiving the risk is too high or at the other end, people engaging in high risk activities while refusing to take any precautions. These attitudes would provide either a very boring or short life.

Best practice would be to assess the risks involved in an activity, take whatever precautions you think deem necessary, and enjoy your life to its fullest. Being prepared and being aware are two keys to being safe. Criminals need both the ability and the opportunity to commit crime and acts of violence. Criminals have the ability to commit offences only if they are given the opportunity. Opportunists will have the ability to commit a crime, we have to reduce or remove the opportunity.

Engaging in high-risk activities can lead to personal injury or death. Such activities can be but not be limited to:

• Taking drugs
• Drinking alcohol
• Walking through a park alone
• Getting a lift with someone you don’t know and
• Entering dark or isolated streets at any time.

Hard Target: Your main priority is to make yourself and your assets are a hard target. By introducing security controls around your house, where you work and when you travel will reduce the risk of you becoming the victim of crime. Becoming a hard target will help avoid confrontations where possible, no matter how confident or skilled we become it is much safer to avoid confrontation and injury in the first instance, money and valuables can be easily replaced, loss of these do not cause pain, permanent disability or death.

Take preventive measures to avoid a confrontation completely, no one wins in a physical battle.

• If it means putting security doors and screens on your house, do it.
• If it means not going to an unsafe location, don't do it.
• If that means crossing the street to avoid a situation, do it.
• If it means bowing out of an argument with an aggressive friend or stranger, do it.
• If it means handing over your valuables to a robber, do it and flee.
• Avoid going into an alley, car, or abandoned building with the offender; do whatever it takes to flee.

It is important for people to consider specific security aspect for their home and working life. Taking time to consider simple security precautions can result in a substantial decrease in the risk of being robbed, burgled, assaulted, raped or killed.

Taking proper security measures will minimize the risk or you becoming a victim however they are not a guarantee to your safety. We will Provide you with self defence information to help safeguard you and your family.

Mind Set: Security must be second nature. In the case of building security (home or work) you should complete a risk assessment and decide if you, your family or in the case of a business your employees safe. Ask questions such as "have we security doors or are the windows secure?" See External Security Design and Internal home security design. In the case of walking down the street and everyday activities you should mentally assess situations e.g If you see 3 males breaking into a car, do you interfere or do you walk away and call the police, trust your instincts, be alert and move away if you feel that something is wrong.

In the case of self defence mind set can be a barrier to protecting yourselves or some one else. People become squeamish when we talk abut poking our fingers into attacker’s eyes, breaking a leg or throwing hot water over them. You have to remember that the attacker is attacking you his intention is to hurt and injure you in some way, possibly kill you. Generally a person who is only after your money or possessions will threaten you and leave when he has what he wants, if this is the case then give them what they want as money or possessions are not as important as your life. The attacker that wants to bash or attacks for sexual reasons should not be given any leeway, do what ever it takes to stop the threat.