Section B

Every methodology of personal safety is based on reducing and/or eliminating someone’s intent and/or means and/or opportunity to do you (or someone else) harm. How this result is achieved varies depending upon the specific factors involved.

The resources on this page refer to engaging in self-protection through the use of the following seven primary ways:

  1. Change Others Modifying the attitudes and social norms of society in order to reduce predatory behavior.
  2. By-Proxy Using bystander intervention and policing agents provide the means of your personal safety and security.
  3. Mitigation Reducing negative consequences by dealing with the aftermath of an assault.
  4. Avoidance – Engaging in strategies and tactics to not encounter, evade, or escape potential assailants and current assailants.
  5. Negotiation – Engaging in various verbal tactics and strategies including submission to dissuade an impending assault.
  6. Deterrence – Engaging in posturing, the threat of force, and other strategies and tactics to discourage a potential assault.
  7. By-Force – The use of force without the use of weapons.

NOTE: In the same way that Change Others, By-Proxy, and Mitigation are related and overlap, so are Avoidance, Negotiation, Deterrence, and By-Force related and overlap.