NO MATTER your age or gender, situational awareness is key to your safety.
We are all subject to risk as we go around our day-to-day lives, it’s up to you to recognize and respond to those risks.
Good situational awareness is not just for Jason Bourne types.
It is not difficult.
Being aware of your surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations — is more of a mindset than a skill and I term it as “behavioural security”.
If you get your head out of your mobile phone, today’s newspaper or last night’s conversations as you move around your environment, I guarantee that you will notice more and that you will be able to respond faster to any potential danger – and get away from it.
I say “you” because you are ultimately responsible for your own safety, and I know that the best way to get out of trouble is not to get into it in the first place.
Behavioural security techniques can be used by everyone and can identify criminal and other dangerous situations.
These are not designed to make you scared, but improve your awareness of your surroundings. Do the following:
Acknowledge – understand that your security is your responsibility. Often the emergency services can take time to react. Policing can be behind the curve.
Assess - recognise and accept that risks exist in every environment. Anticipate what they may be and keep a watching brief. For example, if you are taking money out of the ATM, look around and see who is watching you. Be very aware till you get back to a safer place.
Act – trust your gut. Your subconscious is your friend. If it doesn't feel right, don't challenge yourself to continue. Find another way. Sometimes your subconscious will pick up on cues that the conscious overlooks. This is the primal response that society has taught us to ignore, and technology has allowed us to ignore.
If you recognise all three of the above as key elements in protecting yourself and understand that you can play a key role in your own personal security, then you will identify risky situations quicker and move away from them faster.