When it comes to violence, a lot of it can be predictable. There’s usually certain behavior or actions that can indicate someone wanting to engage with you without having even said or done anything, to begin with. These are called Pre-Violence Indicators, and they could come in various, different ways. It might be someone watching you for long periods of time before following you to what they’re saying to you directly in the lead up to a potential attack.
Spotting this danger is one thing, but it’s good to know how predatory individuals will perform these actions and how they may try and mask their intentions in a public environment. Knowing what these are can help you put yourself into a more safe position before it gets out of your control.
It’s also worth knowing that things you do could make you stand out more. These are called Victim Facilitators, and if you recognize the decisions or actions you make that put you in danger, the more you can do to avoid doing them and making yourself a non-victim. Of course, you should never have to change what you want to do or say but making yourself less of a target is definitely important to do.