Personal safety

Everyone has the right to feel safe and to live without fear. There are a number of potentially unsafe situations you might come across in your everyday life. These might include travelling alone on public transport (especially at night), walking alone in deserted areas, and going out partying with friends.

There are strategies and precautions you can take to maximise your feeling of safety and to enhance your quality of life - you might want to choose the ones you think are important for you and create your own safety plan.

Tips for staying safe

There are a number of things you can do to maximise your safety. It's important to trust your intuition if you feel threatened or unsafe, but it's also a good idea to keep your fear of violence in check; sometimes this fear is disproportionate to the reality of crime.

Read on for more tips on how to stay safe.

Out and about on the street

It is important to stay safe when you are out, especially if alone, in an area where there aren't many people, or at night.

Act confident - Having confidence is a source of power. If you find yourself in a situation where you don't feel confident, fake it. Strong confident body language includes standing tall with your head up, shoulders back, and walking with a purpose. Make brief eye contact with those around you, this shows you aren't intimidated.

Be aware of your surroundings - Look around, take it in, and be relaxed and comfortable without being paranoid. However, trust your instincts; if you feel uncomfortable or pick up bad vibes, leave the situation, try to be assertive in your actions and words.

If you think someone is following you, check by crossing the street - more than once if necessary - to see if the person follows. If you are still worried, call the police and get to the nearest place where there are other people - a pub or anywhere with a lot of lights on.

Vary your route and time and stick to well-lit roads - with pavements when jogging or cycling. Keep to main paths and open spaces where you can see and be seen by other people. If you are listening to music, remember you can't hear traffic, or somebody approaching behind you.

Don't take short-cuts through dark alleys, parks or across waste ground. Walk facing the traffic so a car cannot pull up behind you unnoticed.

Get a personal attack alarm - If you often walk home in the dark. Carry it in your hand so you can use it immediately to scare off an attacker. Make sure it is designed to continue sounding if it's dropped or falls to the ground. Personal alarms are often available where travel accessories are sold.

Carry your bag close to you - With the clasp facing inwards. Carry your house keys in your pocket. If someone grabs your bag, let it go. If you hang on, you could get hurt. Remember your safety is more important than your property.

If a car stops and you are threatened, scream and shout - Set off your personal attack alarm if you have one. Get away as quickly as you can. This will gain you vital seconds and make it more difficult for the car driver to follow. If you can, make a mental note of the number and description of the car. Write down details as soon as possible afterwards.

Staying safe in taxis

If you are going to be out late or don't want to travel on public transport on your own, try to arrange a lift home with someone you know who is not drinking, or make your journey by taxi.  

Taxis give you a degree of protection because vehicles and drivers must meet suitability criteria, including local minimum standards for vehicles and a criminal record and health checks for drivers, before they are licensed.

Here are a few suggestions for how to stay safe when catching a taxi:

• You should always ensure that you travel in a licensed taxi, and try to take note of the taxi's number and driver's name if visible.
• When you get to your destination, ask the driver to wait until you are inside.
• If travelling alone, always sit behind the driver in the back seat. If you feel uneasy, ask to be let out in a well-lit area where there are plenty of people. If in any doubt, make an excuse and don't get in the vehicle.

Travelling by bus - Try to stay away from isolated bus stops, especially after dark. If you are on the bus by yourself, sit near the driver. It might also be a good idea to have someone you trust meet you at your bus stop, or phone them when you are close.

Travelling by train - Try to sit near the guard's compartment - often this will be around the middle of the train and will be marked by a light. Otherwise, sit in a compartment where there are several other people, and ideally sit in a carriage that will be near the exit of your stop.

It's good to think about how you can keep yourself and your friends safe when partying. There are a few simple things that you can do to have fun in a safe way, and to minimise potential negative impacts of partying. These include:

Make a plan before you go - know how you're going to get home and how you can get help if you need it.

Tell someone where you are going and who you are going with - offenders may try to confirm with their victims that family or friends do not know where they are.

Be aware of drink spiking - It is a good idea to always buy your own drinks so you know what you're getting, and to keep an eye on your drink at all times while you're out.

Avoiding getting drunk - If you are going to drink alcohol, there are a number of things you can do to avoid getting drunk. Check out the binge drinking fact sheet for more info.

Avoid getting into fights - Using alcohol increases the likelihood of acting in a violent way. If you find yourself in a situation where someone else is trying to start a fight with you, try to not aggravate the situation and back off before the fight starts.

Safe sex - If you're drinking at a party, you might be less inhibited and be more likely to do things you wouldn't normally. For more info check out the fact sheets on Taking care of your sexual health and Sexual assault.

Preparing for the possibility of being attacked

Think what you would do if someone attacked you. Could you fight back, or would you avoid resisting and wait to escape? Only you can decide whether to fight back, but preparing yourself for all possibilities could provide a split-second advantage.

If someone threatens you, shout and scream for help and set off your personal attack alarm if you have one. This may unnerve the attacker and frighten them off.

You have every right to defend yourself, with reasonable force with items which you have with you like an umbrella, hairspray or keys can be used against the attacker. The law however doesn't allow carrying anything which can be described as an offensive weapon.

Self-defense and safety awareness classes may help you feel more secure and confident. You could ask your local police or community centre if they have classes.

If you have been attacked

Assaults and rapes are serious crimes, whether committed by a stranger or someone you know.

Call the police straight away or talk to somebody that you can trust about the incident. 

In order to catch the attacker, the police need your help. You can help the police by:

• Taking the name or address of any witness, if you know it
• Trying to remember exactly what the attacker looked like, take notice of any scars, tattoos, piercings or any distinguishing marks that could identify the attack.
• If a car was involved, try to note the colour, model and registration number.

If you do get attacked, you do not need to go to the police station to report an assault - you can be interviewed in your own home if you prefer. These crimes are dealt with sympathetically, regardless of sex.

Police stations have specially trained officers who will help and support you, and many areas have comfortable victim suites, separate from the police station, where you can be interviewed privately.

Even though your immediate reaction will probably be to wash, try not to if you can possibly help it. It will destroy vital medical evidence that will help prove the case against the person who raped or assaulted you.

After reading these tips, think about which might be more relevant to you, and incorporate them into your own safety plan. Let us know what you think about personal safety - you might have other tips too. You can share these in the comments section if you'd like.