1 - Information versus. Fantastic Stories
As a pro self-protection instructor, I am content to have so many women learning with us. In our orientation classes, I go through some fast tools and give basic advice which always counters the what girls have been told. Seek the reality about your private safety through info. Stories are exciting, engaging, frightful - but stories are different from data. Stories can include data, but stories are the micro-view. We need the macro-view.
What's really going down where we live, work, or visit? Where can we get that? The media? The media tells stories that are specially picked, professionally produced, and edited.
The media offers a service, but it is not a public service. It is a private service driven by advertising. There is nothing wrong with this of course, it just skews reporting towards getting eyeballs on screens and paper - where they will also see the paid adverts.
2 - Not Hiding It, Just Not Talking About It...
Did you know that many entertainment districts with a lot of bars and diners are privately owned, and assertive reporting on crime trends is daunted? How is this done? With advertising bucks. Political influence. How frequently have stars and athletes gotten help "keeping it out of the papers?" The web has certainly assisted in turning this around, but there is still picking and selecting going on.
Police reports are of course filed. They have to be. Whether a news desk does anything with a trend of one or two attacks against women at the hot spots is another matter.
Know What's Actually Taking place.
3 - Personal Safety is about Knowledge, Behavior, and Tools.
The web is an incredible source of info, which drives information. Here are some great, free tools that we share with our clients. Note - The Net is awesome for info , but creates some pitfalls with behavior - which I'll cover in a later article, with Social Networks.
3 FREE Information Tools that keep you safer:
www.crimereports.com - This database includes illegal activity in the U.S, UK, and Canada. A 30 day history of crimes are available on the map, with the addresses, names, and images of registered sex offenders. This completely free resource includes a roll-up of actual police reports, on a Google map-type format.
How frequently have you had to inquire about the safety of an area you are going to or when thinking about a move? Just asking around can provide you with an understanding of what has happened, but it is better to understand what is happening.
Quick Background Check - Ever wonder if a new pal, business associate, or neighbor has a criminal record? Does something appear a bit "off" about somebody put in from of you? You can do a fairly good search on the web, freely. This may not include everything - but most politics, crime, and law-enforcement happens at the local level. Many states have free court record searches available on the web. Your nation's site may look different than the ones I show.
Beware of sites that guarantee a free background probe hitting each criminal database in the world , then send you to a landing page to purchase a membership. A comprehensive background check will cost money (about $20) - but a check check takes 2 minutes and is free. The linke is viewable from our blog.
Amazon Home Services - At first, this one might seem unusual, but over time, one of the most common questions we've had asked from girls is how to find competent, non-creepy service execs. We do not recommend paying for any sort of list or referral, because the paid services often prioritize businesses that pay to be on the list .
Amazon is moving forcefully into home services, and the female demographic is a massive part of their multi-billion greenback firm. Don't waste your time calling places attempting to find someone who has a brain in his head and did not just get out of jail.
Source any service through an internet source which has reviews . Get a quote or fixed rate for simpler work. Let any provider know you can't wait to give a 5-star review for great work. (and they'll understand the flip side) Any visit should be planned, ideally earlier in the morning, and any service pro should have ID and present it before obtaining access to your house. ?
In the following article in this series, we will have a video guide including one of our female team members installing a straightforward, no-fuss camera monitoring system, which anyone who can work a smartphone and laptop computer can do!
About the Author:
Eric. Scott is a Krav Maga Black Belt and creator of Self-defense Global. Self-defense Worldwide offers gear, training, and training missions for a safer life. He offers a free video orientation class which has more information than most paid programs including a week of video lessons, and a free electronic book.
