The Unattractive Target

Why do you want be an unattractive target? That’s because criminals try to avoid victims that are going to put up a fight, cause trouble for them, or make their endeavors more difficult. Just like in the wild, a predator will seek out the easiest prey. They’re going to choose the weaker, unobservant target to go after. This is advantageous for them because it essentially becomes a sneak attack. This leaves you caught off guard, and less able to fight back.

To be an unattractive target, the best preventative measure you can take is being aware of your surroundings. This means being observant of the people in your vicinity (without staring. They don’t usually like being stared at!), as well as being observant of what’s going on around you. Survey your surroundings before you enter or exit any area such as your home, your car, your place of business or place of employment, an elevator, especially when people are loitering around any of these.

There is a common condition that plagues humanity called “Normalcy Bias”. This is also known as “The Ostrich Effect”. It’s our tendency to look at a threat warning, and to dismiss or minimize it. How many times have you heard someone say, or have even said yourself, “That will never happen to me.”? This is the epitome of Normalcy Biased. This is the opposite of being a unattractive target. In fact, if something hasn’t already happened that affected you in such a way, there is still a possibility that something will happen to you eventually.

Throughout our blog, we will present a few habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine while you are out and about, or while you are at home. Of course, the lives and routines of no two families will be the same, nor will they have the exact same experiences as the other. For each family, as well as for each individual within the family, the preparations and preventative measures to become an unattractive target will need to be tailored to their lifestyles and routines.