Recently a young executive was kidnapped & kept hostage for a few days. She was let go thereafter & is now back home. It is now not incorrect to speculate that she could have been brutalized & further tormented considering the murderous track record & the advantageous position of the accused, where the victim was at his mercy.
We can all empathize with her state of mind & condition all throughout this ordeal. It would be worthwhile to talk to such victims in person & get a first-hand account of the modus operandi of the criminal & her / his response (if at all) to ensure non recurrence, but …..WAS IT AVOIDABLE OR PREVENTABLE ?? Let us not grant everything to the criminal, it is time to own up that we are ‘unprepared’ & ‘callous’ too.
My wisdom tells me that most people feel “it can’t happen to me” working in their mind somewhere which stops them from being proactive & prepared.
Please find below a few points which may help you stay safe & secure ONLY IF YOU FOLLOW THEM & CONSIDER THE FACT THAT IT COULD BE ‘YOU’ NEXT :
- Situational Awareness : Be careful of your surroundings & environment all the time. If a perpetrator can watch you , you can notice if too (line of sight) BUT only if you are alert.
- Distractions : Avoid distractions like cell phone, ear plugs while travelling or commuting so that you can be more observant of ‘conspicuous elements & situations’.
- Never Ignore : if you find a situation which is strange & annoying do not ignore it rather find out the cause & share it with at least one close friend or relative.
- Force Multiplier : Always carry a tool of safety & survival like a knife, pepper spray, whistle etc to act as a ‘force multiplier’ when threatened.
- Now or Never :Your ‘best chance of survival’ is right at the moment when the perpetrator first approaches you either through deception (most of the time) or upfront (rare). Get out then or it would get more & more difficult for you.
Share these 5 life saving pointers to people around you for whom you care because IT MAY SAVE SOMEONE’s LIFE & HONOUR. Do ‘what you can’ & stop thinking & wasting time on ‘what should be’!