Personal Safety

General Guidelines

• Do as much as you can to avoid a confrontation - "anticipation and avoidance"
• If you get caught up in a situation, try to keep calm and talk to an aggressor without provoking them
• Practice relaxation - appearing fearful or stressed can actually provoke an attack
• Remember body language is important in aggressive situations try not to look paniced and try to maintain some distance between you and the aggressor
• Steady yourself if danger threatens. Panic can disable you so it's useful to learn how to keep control in a difficult situation
• Use a gas or electronic attack alarm, they give out a short piercing sound to disorientate an attacker and give you enough time to get away. Carry it somewhere you can get to it quickly.
• If you don't have an alarm make noise yourself by screaming or shouting "Call the Gardaí!" or "Fire!"- if you're loud enough this can be just as effective as a personal alarm.
• If you must fight back your primary targets are the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, throat, groin, knees or shins; choose whichever is easiest to get to.
• If held from behind don't struggle forward, you'll only exhaust yourself. Instead throw yourself bachwards to surprise your attacker head butt them or stomp on their lower leg or foot
• You have the right to defend yourself with reasonable force and this includes using items you have with you such as an umbrella, bag, briefcase or keys. However, don't carry or use anything that the law would regard as an offensive weapon. Once you've achieved your primary aim of stunning or surprising your attacker, get away as fast as you can. If you manage to overcome them don't attack again, you could be putting yourself in more danger or you could end up being charged with assault.