Spotting Danger Before It Happens: How to Recognise the Warning Signs of a Potential Attacker
What are the signs that someone is about to attack you?
Introduction
Being able to detect the early warning signs of a potential attacker is a critical skill in self defence. Being able to recognise the physical and behavioral changes in someone before they attack can allow you to act before an attack happens creating opportunities to escape a violent encounter. In this article we will take a deeper dive into how to recognise and respond to these signs.
Pre-Attack Indicators: What to Look For
Physical Warning Signs
There are several physical warning signs that a potential attacker may exhibit either leading up to or just before an attack. It can be useful to view someone with malicious intent as a predator. Watch for behaviors such as scanning their surroundings, searching for easy targets, lingering in dark areas, or attempting to conceal themselves.
If they approach you, observe their body language. Are their fists clenched or hands hidden? Are they pacing or acting erratically? Prior to an attack, these physical signs may also shift. They may go from loud and agitated to quiet and still, dropping their gaze or fixating on potential targets. They may also appear to prepare their body to strike or close the distance quickly.
All of these behaviors can indicate that a person is either planning an attack or are about to.
Verbal and Emotional Cues
Being able to read the emotional state of an individual and changes in their verbal cues can help you determine if a person presents a threat or is about to attack you. Take note of their behavior: Are they trying to intimidate you, testing your boundaries, or asking overly personal questions? Pay attention to variations in their voice; is it getting louder to intimidate or quieter perhaps to draw you closer? Observe whether they seem overly charming or insistent in their desire to help. Consider their eye contact are they making excessive eye contact, or are they avoiding it altogether?
Also, note any rapid and erratic changes in their emotions or feelings. It is crucial to understand that not all criminals display their intent through overt physical signs. Some may appear charming or disarming to lead victims into a false sense of security. Awareness of these cues can be vital for personal safety.
Trust Your Gut
We all have survival instincts! Listen to them! If you are feeling uncomfortable or uncertain, something doesn’t ‘feel right’, then listen to those internal voices and act accordingly.
Tactical Responses: How to Deal with a Potential Threat
Use Your Voice
Use your voice to set clear boundaries early, let the person politely know that you are not interested in engaging in conversation with them, be polite early on so as not to antagonize the person. If they do not leave you alone, then you need to start to use clearer stronger language, such as: “Back Off!”, “If you don’t back off I will scream/call the police”.
You can also use your voice to attract attention to the situation and ask for help. Raising your voice and using clear language can also show the criminal that you are not an easy target and you are ready to protect yourself.
Change Your Position
Actively create space between you and the criminal ideally moving somewhere crowded and so that you have space to move staying away from walls and alleys.
Move yourself towards an escape route and use environmental structures such as cars and street lights to create a physical barrier between you and the criminal.
If you are seated position yourself on the edge of your seat so you can stand quickly or create an opportunity to stand up and create space.
Prepare to Act
When dealing with someone who is being aggressive it is important to be mentally and physically prepared to deal with an attack or preemptively strike. This will include taking up non-aggressive but ready stance, talking with your hands to keep a barrier between you and the aggressor. Having your hands up will also make it easier for you to defend yourself and strike if the need arises. You should also be looking out for exits and looking for the warning signs of the aggressor so you know how and when to act.
Deescalation vs. Preemptive Action
In an ideal world we would always be able to deescalate a situation before it escalates. However, this is not always feasible and striking first may become the best option. Striking first is legal in the UK as long as you genuinely believe you are in danger. You can read more about deescalation and preemptive strikes in the below articles:
Preemptive strikes in self defence
Final Thoughts
Being aware of your situation, trusting your instincts and learning the warning signs of an aggressive person are the most important skills for avoiding and managing self defence situations.
We would recommend coming to our self defence classes so you can learn how to apply the knowledge you have learnt in this article and so that you can learn to deal with the pressure of using these skills in a safe and friendly training environment.