Personal attacks are one of the more wide spread villainous offenses in our society today. Whichever form it may be, a robbery or assault, it is one of the most insidious invasions of our individual safety. Why do some individuals become a victim of personal attack while others do not? How do culprits choose their quarry? Attackers can easily spot the signals of their next potential target. Knowing what they look for when they make their selection can help you steer clear of being that ill-fated person.

What Does Your Body Language Say About You?

An antagonist is looking for an easy mark. One who appears powerless, docile and naive. A target not capable (or won't) fight back is someone who is easy to waylay. You should know that your likelihood of becoming a victim is susceptible to the signals you are unknowingly projecting to an aggressor. Body language and non-verbal cues are unconscious signals that make up 80-90% of our communication. Either knowingly or unknowingly, crooks will make an assessment about you from these signals to determine how easy you will be to overpower and master.

Fortunately there are ways to lessen your chances of being on the receiving end of a violent crime. If criminals look for persons who appear to be unguarded, helpless and unaware, then you must depict the complete opposite of that. One way is to carry yourself with confidence. Confidence is a non-victim attribute. The more self-assured you appear to others, lessens your chances of being someone's target. A criminal will avoid a subject who appears capable of resistance and difficult to subdue. Any display of strength or defiance, whether blatant or implied, is often sufficient to cause a predator to seek out an easier target. A way to project self-confidence is by walking briskly with determination, with your head held upright and looking alert.

Are You Aware Of Your Surroundings?

Another way to reduce your probability of becoming a victim is to be acutely aware of the surrounding area at all times. By becoming more aware of your surroundings, you not only increase the odds of spotting a potential attacker, you also project an image of being on guard. Be cognizant of who is around you and what occurrences are going on at all times. Notice everyone walking toward you and look them in the eye. Offenders look for potential targets who are oblivious to their surroundings and off guard. So put away all of your "electronic gadgets!" Turn off your cell phone, iPod, PDA, laptop, etc. They can be just the distraction a mugger is waiting for to make his move. Using these gadgets in public places like parking garages, malls, parks, etc., can lessen your ability to spot potential danger and makes you an easy mark. If you are distracted and not paying attention you might not even realize you are going to be attacked until it is too late to escape.

Add Some Personal Security Devices To Your Arsenal

In addition to depicting self-confidence and being keenly alert, it would be wise to protect yourself from harm by carrying a few common self-defense devices such as a personal alarm, pepper spray and a stun gun.

A personal security alarm is the perfect self-defense product for drawing attention to yourself when needed. These small, bargain-priced devices are very easy to take with you wherever you go. When activated, they will emit an earsplitting and insufferable noise.

Pepper spray is a non-fatal self-defense spray that is made from oleoresin capsicum (OC), a by-product of peppers. It irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness.

A stun gun is a defense weapon designed to temporarily halt a perpetrator by delivering a non-lethal, high-voltage electric shock. Bear in mind, these self defense weapons will not keep you safe if you do not use them.