How awareness, movement and personal space can help you reduce opportunities for street crime.
Criminals committing opportunistic theft or robbery, or predators looking for an easy target, may notice combinations of distraction, visible valuables, isolation, easy access and uncertainty. Looking up, moving with purpose, managing distance, securing valuables and acting early when something feels wrong can reduce some visible opportunities and give you more time to make a safer decision.
The TLDR
- Demonstrate you’re confidant and aware
- Present yourself as a problem
- Move with purpose
- Protect your bubble
- Act decisively
Introduction
There is no single set of choices and circumstances that make a person an easy target, but there are decisions we can make to lessen the chances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This article uses research and police guidance to document how criminals select their next target, and what decisions you can take to avoid becoming one.
Important note: Responsibility for a crime always lies with the person who commits it. Being distracted, alone or unsure of yourself never makes you responsible for someone else’s actions.
1. The “Victim Profile” and what Criminals look for
Before you wonder, there is no such as thing as a “Victim Profile” or a guaranteed way to prevent a crime. Criminals do not carry a clipboard containing a checklist of desired features for their next mark. However, it is reasonable to say that criminals genuinely prefer their next target to demonstrate the following. Let’s consider a potential “criminal” mindset:
- You’re alone
Don’t be with other people. Being with others increases the risk of being identified and a greater chance of providing resistance. Ideally you’ll be on your own and compliant… - You’re isolated
If you’re on your own and in a secluded area with limited passers-by and no traffic, the better. - You look distracted
Use your phone, ideally with noise cancelling headphones. Keep your head down, keep looking at the screen. Pay no attention to the world around you, especially me. - You look like you’ve got money
That’s an expensive bag. Phone too. Even your shoes scream money. Where are you parked? Wonder what type of car you have… - You look vulnerable
You move without purpose. You shuffle about. You make yourself look small, like you want to go unnoticed, but that’s exactly what I’m looking for. You look like someone who won’t resist.
Of course, there is no such thing as a “criminal” mindset, but the theoretical thought experiment above helps to illustrate factors that can make you vulnerable in the eyes of someone looking to exploit you. These factors, these ‘visual cues’ can be used to make judgements about you; in fact just your movement alone can provide signals that may influence how people perceive you and make you a target.
What Research Tells Us
A University of Canterbury study in 1998 by Rebekah Gunns found that people made judgements on how easy it might be to attack someone purely based on their movement (even when all other identity cues (face, body shape, clothing) had been removed.
In the test, thirty women were filmed walking across a darkened room, so that only a human-like shape made of bright lights moving against a dark background could be seen.
These shapes were then rated by 30 male and 30 female “Observers” in terms of how easy or difficult they believed they would be to assault.
Slower walking, limited arm movement, shorter strides and other features were associated with higher perceived vulnerability ratings.
What’s fascinating about this research is that the Observers:
- Were not consciously aware of the cues that influenced their decision on who was or wasn’t vulnerable
- judged some walkers as easier to attack than others, from judging the walking patterns of the subjects they watched
- consistently agreed on which walkers looked more vulnerable.
- found clothing and footwear alter perceived vulnerability, even when they could not be seen properly in the test, due to the effect clothing and footwear has on a person’s gait
The Takeaway
While the study measured perceptions, not actual offences, it does suggest that your movement and behaviour can affect how vulnerable you appear. While there is no universal victim profile and no posture that can guarantee your safety, there is compelling evidence to suggest your movement can be an influence.
2. Present yourself as a potential problem
If your movement and even your clothing can influence how vulnerable you appear to a would-be attacker, then it’s possible to make yourself appear the opposite – or what I like to refer as “a problem”.
A problem is someone who looks like they can handle themselves.
A problem is someone who looks like they are aware of their surroundings. Someone who walks with purpose. Someone who won’t go quietly and will put up a fight and make a hell of a noise doing so.
And becoming “a problem” is easier than you might imagine. It’s as simple as putting the following into practice:
- Focus. Keep your head up. Don’t stare at the ground or a screen.
- Scan. Let your eyes move through the environment. Show that you’re aware.
- Show. Demonstrate that you’ve noticed people approaching or changing direction near you.
- Position. Keep your shoulders back and relaxed. Keep your hands available.
- Calm. Avoid staring. Don’t challenge. Remain confident, but calm.
- Prepare. Know your next direction before reaching a junction, station exit or car park
Presenting yourself as confident can make a substantial difference in the mindset of a potential assailant.
3. Move with purpose
Purposeful movement looks comfortable. You move at a deliberate pace. You know where you’re going. But purposeful movement looks different for different people. Someone may be walking, using a wheelchair, travelling with a cane or moving with assistance. Attention, position, route choice, access to help and early decision-making remain useful regardless of how a person moves.
Make moving with purpose second nature:
- Move at a comfortable pace. Don’t rush, or look uncertain as to where you’re going.
- If you need to check where you’re headed, do it somewhere safe like a shop, or restaurant.
- Keep bags and belongings from restricting both your hands.
What Research Tells Us
Studies published in the Journal of Applied Psychology and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that the way a person walks, as well as their gait (their posture, pace, stride and movement) all affect how they are perceived. The UK Police recommend looking confident and knowing where you’re going as key factors in preventing a street robbery.
4. Protect your bubble
Subways. Crowded bars. Lifts. Modern life increasingly places us in positions where we are forced to come intimately close to complete strangers. In most cases, these situations are harmless, but criminals often prey on our sense of politeness and social niceties to enter or invade our personal space as a means to intimidate or threaten. Rarely does a robber announce from a distance their intention to rob you, rather looking for a moment to surprise you or lull you into a false sense of security.
While managing distance is a familiar concept in self-defence, the notion of defining your own spatial barrier or “bubble” – cultivating spatial awareness – is not discussed as regularly as situation awareness and yet the two concepts are equally important to self-protection.
While the concept of spatial awareness is an article in itself, there are key points to consider:
- Mentally define a space all around you – not just in front.
- Never allow an unknown person to enter your bubble. Use available space, and be on your guard if crowding makes it difficult to create distance.
- Make eye contact so the person knows they have seen them.
- If you feel threatened, don’t stop walking, pay attention to your surroundings and don’t let the person get closer. Get to a safer position or get help.
- Don’t wait for someone to enter your space before creating distance, stop them before they get too close with a firm but polite statement for example “That’s close enough” , “You’re good right there”.
- If necessary and appropriate, verbally command them to step back.
- Use natural barriers like tables, vehicles, benches and even bags to extend your bubble.
- Should the person not retreat when instructed, its reasonable to consider ill-intent.
- Boundary setting is critical because if a person is in touching distance they may be too close for you to react quick enough to stop them from grabbing you or something valuable.
What Research Tells Us
Close contact leaves little time to respond should a robber pull a knife or launch an attack. In a US study of 20 experienced police officers performing knife motions, thrusts took an average of 0.61 seconds. A separate study of 74 participants found that a simulated attack from 21 feet took an average of 2.40 seconds, with the fastest taking 1.75 seconds. Distance management, “protecting your bubble” and keeping people at a safe distance is key to survival.
5. Act decisively
You do not need proof, or absolute certainty that you are in danger to act upon that feeling.
If something feels wrong, act, even before you know exactly why. Move towards other people, step into a staffed place or ask for help. Do not remain in an uncomfortable situation while you work out someone’s intentions..
What Research Tells Us
A randomised trial programme in 2015 involving 893 first-year university women in Canada that taught risk assessment, overcoming barriers to recognising danger, and verbal and physical resistance, reduced reported completed rape over one year from 9.8% to 5.2%.
This suggests that such defensive training – and the recommendations in this article – have real-world impact, and that our instincts can be refined to better alert us to real danger, that we absolutely should act upon, thereby decreasing our likelihood of coming a target (let alone a victim) for a potential crime.
Final thoughts
No body language, route or safety habit can control another person’s decisions. These actions are designed to improve awareness, reduce obvious opportunities and give you more time and distance when something changes.
DFA classes develop practical awareness, boundary-setting, positioning and self-protection skills through structured training. Book a trial class.
References
1. Victim selection and kinematics: a dynamic point-light assessment of perceived vulnerability to attack. Gunns, R. E. (1998), University of Canterbury master’s thesis. Point-light study of movement and perceived vulnerability.
2. Changing Kinematics as a Means of Reducing Vulnerability to Physical Attack. Johnston, Hudson, Richardson, Gunns and Garner (2004), Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
3. Psychopathy and victim selection: the use of gait as a cue to vulnerability. Book, Costello and Camilleri (2013), Journal of Interpersonal Violence. PubMed record.
4. Robbers on Robbery: Prevention and the Offender. Wright and Decker (1996), National Institute of Justice report based on interviews with 86 active robbers.
5. Did you see the unicycling clown? Inattentional blindness while walking and talking on a cell phone. Hyman, Boss, Wise, McKenzie and Caggiano (2010), Applied Cognitive Psychology.
6. How to protect yourself from street robbery. Police.uk guidance on moving with purpose, awareness, valuables and prioritising personal safety.
7. Protect your mobile phone against criminals on bikes and mopeds. Metropolitan Police guidance on distraction, phone use and safer positioning.
8. Threats and Risks. ProtectUK Blue Book guidance covering arrivals, departures, vehicles, predictable journeys, unfamiliar surroundings and electronic-device distraction.
9. Personal security. ProtectUK guidance on proportionate precautions, situational awareness and avoiding permanent high alert.
10. Protect yourself outdoors. Police Service of Northern Ireland guidance, including what to do if you think you are being followed.
11. What to do now if you are being stalked or harassed. Police.uk guidance on trusting instincts, seeking support and reporting without first collecting a complete evidence file.
