Personal Safety

The next time you find yourself staggering down the street, drunk, and mumbling to your girlfriend on your mobile, consider this: You've got mugging victim written all over you.

You should realise that it doesn't have to be that way. Investigate what security options are available at your college or university. Figure out where you need to be and get there fast, efficiently and, preferably, in a group or at least with one friend. Leave your iPod and mobile in your bag and trust your instincts while you walk to and from home. And if something or someone looks or feels wrong, it probably is. Get somewhere safe, and don't ever feel too self-conscious or afraid to ask for help.

Top Twenty Safety Tips

1. Make sure you find out what security or safety programmes your campus runs. Many institutions have late-night buses that take students to and from certain areas, whilst others have security guards who can be booked to walk you across campus.
2. Find out whether your institution, nearby gym or YMCA offers self-defence courses. These are not only great for improving your health, but they can also increase your self-confidence and make you appear less of a victim.
3. Always stick to the main roads and ignore all shortcuts. Take the route home that has the most traffic.
4. Make sure you put aside a bit of extra money in a separate pocket of your purse or wallet at the beginning of the night. That way, if you are out late and get drunk, you'll always have enough money to take a taxi home.
5. Try to find a friend to share a taxi or minicab with or who is going back in your direction and leave with them. Better to leave a bit early than not get home at all.
6. Always try to choose black or licensed taxis over mini-cabs, unless you're travelling with friends. You don't want to find yourself late at night, in a car with a stranger who may not know your direct route home. And certainly don't give away any personal information about yourself during the ride.
7. If you find yourself having to travel alone on a tube or a train, stay near the ticket collector until the train arrives, and get on at the first carriage near the driver.
8. Try asking your bus driver politely if they can let you off at the stop closest to your street. They are not usually allowed to do this but it can't hurt to ask.
9. If you walk home and think someone is following you, cross the road or duck into a shop or bar until they pass. If they still linger, call a friend to see if they can come meet you or pick you up, or report it to someone in the shop or restaurant. If all else fails call the police, don't go back out until you are sure it is safe.
10. Keep your belongings close to your body, and don't faff about looking for keys, your mobile or anything else while you walk. If you seem distracted, you will make for easier prey. Have your keys ready as your approach your house or flat. These can also be used as a handy weapon if necessary.
11. Do not consult maps or directions out on the street; make sure you know where you are going before you leave from anywhere.
12. Walk confidently, and look from side to side regularly. Victims become so because they appear weak and/or afraid.
13. Do not wear a personal music player or talk on your mobile, unless absolutely necessary. Your sense of hearing is one of the greatest tools you can use to protect yourself.
14. Trust your instincts at all costs. Foresight can be your best defence. If you feel uncomfortable about a situation, don't be embarrassed to ask for help or refuse the attention of a stranger.
15. If a stranger does approach you, remember that you didn't ask for help and they are not someone you know. Decline the offer, no matter how charming or compelling it may seem, by using strong verbal and body language. Raise your hand up and say things like "No, I don't want your help" rather than, "No thanks, that's fine, really" etc. It is better to be on the safe side and be harsh to someone who may have been genuine, rather than be too nice to someone who is out to harm you.
16. If you feel you are in danger of being attacked, shout loudly words such as "Stop! Stay Away! Do not come any closer!" repeatedly. Shouting "Help!" or "Save Me!" may make you seem even more a victim, so use aggressive language and it may work to your advantage.
17. Activate a personal alarm if you have one. Any distraction may give you a few extra seconds to get away.
18. If you get grabbed from behind, try kicking into your assailant's shin and scraping downwards from the knee to the ankle, or skewer their foot with your shoe heel.
19. If must use self-defence, aim higher, rather than lower. Kneeing someone in the groin may be painful, but often it only makes your attacker's adrenalin kick in and can make them angrier. Try striking bony parts of their body (knees, elbows, ankles etc.) or claw at their eyes. A hard punch on the bridge of the nose will usually do the trick.
20. If you feel in danger for any reason, phone 999 on your mobile phone and give them your location first before any other details.