What to do when encountering suspicious and possibly dangerous people

Almost every child has heard that “classic” (and totally correct) recommendation not to talk to strangers. But the fact is that not even adults usually know how to react in risky situations. For example: do you know what to do if you are chased through the streets of a big city by a stranger? Or how to proceed in the case of being approached by a potential criminal inside an elevator with the doors closed?

O awesome.club researched what to do in risky situations. Now, let’s share with you what we’ve learned. Follow!

If you feel that someone is following you, don’t ignore it thinking that this is just a figment of your imagination. Keep an eye out, because, unfortunately, no one is immune to such situations. The important thing is to take some precautionary measures to avoid more serious consequences:

If you have headphones, remove them. Thus, you will be able to hear better what is happening around you, in addition to being more alert.

Don’t look down all the time; try to keep your eyes straight ahead and your head slightly elevated. This will also help raise your level of attention. In addition, there is a psychological effect here: people with their heads elevated convey more self-confidence. This may lessen the criminal’s momentum.

Avoid looking back all the time, as this will send the message that you have noticed the “stalker”, which could trigger a possible attack.

Try going into a store or a restaurant, for example. Stay there for a while and keep the pursuer in your field of vision. It is possible that, under these circumstances, he will imagine that you will stay in the establishment for a long time and give up attacking him.

If you are being chased at night, never go through poorly lit places (parks, alleys, narrow streets, etc.). Head towards regions with as much lighting as possible. And it doesn’t hurt to repeat the previous tip: look for busy places.

How do you know if the person behind you is not just an ordinary pedestrian? Try this little trick: try to make random paths. Turn a corner, then another, and then another. Take a walk around the block to see if the suspect is still chasing you. Or pretend you’ve forgotten something (or lost your wallet, for example), and then turn in the opposite direction, as if you’re going to go back. If the person continues to follow you, the conclusion is that they are, in fact, following you. So it’s time to look for a busy place and call the police.

But what do you do if you can’t find anywhere to go in or hide and the person keeps following you? Let your wallet “accidentally” fall to the floor and carry on as if you hadn’t noticed the “oversight”. Maybe that’s the stalker’s goal: a robbery. In such cases, it is better to lose money than to be assaulted or risk being murdered.

This is the kind of situation that occurs most often with women. And some of the most common cases involve drunk men. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for preventing harassment, but there are several strategies that can be used:

Don’t react in an “emotional” way: keep a neutral expression on your face. Don’t show anger; instead, look into the other person’s eyes. This strategy has a psychological explanation: aggressors understand that you are not just an “object”, but a human being. It is more difficult to harm a person than a “thing”.

If the stranger approached or sat next to you, place your hands in front of your body, creating a kind of “barrier”. Don’t touch the person and firmly say something like “I want you to get out of here”. Important: Be sure to include the pronoun “I”. The strategy has an explanation similar to that of the previous tip. This seems like a pretty simple trick. But believe me: in a risk situation, it is not usually easy to adopt it, as the victim tends to get nervous and lost.

There is also an apparently strange piece of advice that may work: mention the abuser’s mother. You can seriously ask the question, “Does your mother know that she raised a son like you?” What happens is that, regardless of education level, most people have a close relationship with their parents. Therefore, a question like this will be like a kind of moral blow, which may leave the aggressor without reaction.

If you’re passing close to a group of suspicious people and you get hit on, hold your purse (or whatever you have in your hands) with your left hand and leave your right hand free (in the case of right-handers). Experts say this will make you appear less vulnerable. Also, if something serious does happen, you can physically resist with your free hand.

Obviously, the best way to avoid harassment is to simply not get into situations where there is a risk of harassment. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a choice, so be on the lookout.

It is very important to listen to the “inner voice”. If, for some reason, you’re alone with someone in an elevator and you think there’s any kind of risk involved, get out immediately. It’s better to appear paranoid than risk your life. In order not to seem impolite, you can pretend that you forgot to grab something. But if you don’t have time to leave, some measures can be taken:

Stay very close to the panel with the floor buttons, as if you were protecting it. First, because that way you will prevent the person from pressing the button to stop the elevator. Second, it will be easier to press the emergency button if you feel the situation has escalated. Do not stand with your back or side to the suspect, but face forward. That way you can see what he or she is doing and you won’t be surprised. Another piece of advice: take your keys, cell phone or any other object that can serve as a defense weapon if necessary.

You can also check if the person is really dangerous or not in a very simple way. Attention to behavior: if the stranger enters the elevator and does not look at the buttons or try to press a floor, full alert. In this type of situation, even if your intuition doesn’t “tell” you anything, it’s more advisable to get out of the elevator as soon as possible.

The most important piece of advice is also the most intuitive: don’t open the door. Pretending you’re not home might not be a good idea either: the person might actually be looking for an empty apartment to steal from. If no one answers, you can try to open the door. Ask loud and clear who is knocking and what they want. Then act according to the situation:

If the person outside says they are injured and need help, keep in mind that unless you are a doctor or first responder your help won’t be very helpful. It is best to ask the person to wait outside saying that he will call an ambulance or the police. If it’s not a scam, the person will be happy with your help. But if there is any kind of bad intention, there is a possibility that the criminal will simply give up on the plans and walk away. If you are sure that this is a criminal, call the police immediately. But do it in such a way that the person hears your voice. You can also resort to a little trick: open a video of a dog barking on your cell phone and shout: “quiet!” If it’s a burglar trying to open the door, he will certainly be scared: few people want to run into an angry dog, especially if it looks big. Many con artists pretend to be employees of service companies. If this happens, ask for the name of the company, where they are located, and then call the office to confirm that the person has actually been assigned to visit your home.

A very common scam is a woman knocking on the door to ask for help. She appears to be harmless. But, when opening the door, the victim is surprised by a group of thugs who are with her, hiding.

And you, have you ever been in similar situations? What did you do to get out of them? Do you know anyone who has experienced a similar case? Comment!