Kevin Reeve of On Point Tactical has some very impressive credentials. Read more about him at his website. There will be one more guest post by Kevin Reeve tomorrow, I have his permission to repost these blogs as guest posts.

Ann

Apr 19 2013

How To Be Safe in Crowds by Kevin Reeve

I have been asked several times since the Boston Marathon Bombing about how to manage risk in a large crowd environment.  One answer is simple:  Unless you are absolutely required to be in attendance, AVOID large crowded environments.  Of course when there are times when you have limited choice and must venture into that environment, then use good habits of “situational awareness” and adopt a “bias towards action.”

Large groups of people will always attract a certain amount of risk.  Never underestimate the volatility of people in large groups.  Any significant event, even a “perceived” event, can result in a stampede.  People are injured and die every year during Black Friday Sales events when they become victims of a frenzied mob.  A fire, an explosion, an active shooter can all create a mob mentality that takes on a life of its own.

The KEY to surviving any event in a crowded venue will depend almost entirely on your ability to control personal panic, to assess the situation, and to take immediate action.  If you panic, you drastically increase your odds of injury or death.

Here are a few strategies that will decrease your risk. Concentration is initially involved, but after practice, these habits can become natural and seemingly effortless.

1. Maintain your awareness.  Keep your eyes up, off the smart phone, and scan your environment.  This is can be challenging due to the large volume of people.  But try actively scanning.  Look for “out of baseline” behaviors.  People moving upstream, against the flow, for example, are out of baseline.  People moving faster or slower than the baseline, or whose gestures or furtiveness do not match the event.

I have a friend that works in a department store in theft prevention.  In a glance, he can spot someone about to shoplift.  Their behaviors are out of baseline.  A shoplifter will always stand right next to the shelf before he pockets the item, whereas a normal shopper stands back to be able to see the contents of the shelves.  Out of baseline.

2. Identify specific threats or threatening behavior.   Look for menacing behavior or people who by their looks cause you to feel uncomfortable. Trust your gut.  There may be a valid reason why they make you feel uncomfortable.  If you are in proximity, move away.  As always, look for “orphans:”  bags or packages without owners.  Alert security if you see them, but do not stand next to them waiting for security to arrive.

3. Identify exits.  Whenever I enter a room, or area, one of the first things I do is scan for exits.  Are there emergency exits?  Are they alarmed?  Are they locked?  What about windows?  Can they be opened?  Is there a heavy object like a chair I can throw through the window?

4. Look for exits on the opposite side of the room from the entrance or at right angles to the entrance.  Most people will bypass emergency exits in close proximity to them to go back to the entrance they came in through.  This behavior has led to many deaths in ballroom and concert fires.  People who are panicking seek the familiar.

5. Identify cover.  Cover refers to safety from fire.  A brick wall may stop bullets, but sheetrock walls will not.  Solid furniture may seem solid, but even a two inch thick oak table will not stop a 9mm round.  You must find something substantial if shooting starts.  The engine block and front axle of a car for example may provide enough cover for one person.  The car door, not so much.   Inside a building, there is generally not much cover.  Better to head for the exit.

5.  When an event occurs, grab your family members and head for the exit.  Pick up and carry children.  Have your family members, (spouse, others with you) grab a hold of your belt.  Move assertively towards the PRE-SELECTED exit.   Move with the crowd “downstream” but also in a diagonal direction, until can reach a wall inside, or if outside, the edge of the crowd, where you can better control your movement.  Do not be afraid to damage or destroy the fixtures or the building itself to get out, such as breaking open windows or kicking open doors, or breaking locks   Timidity will not be helpful.  Your primary concern must be your family.  Once they are safe, you can decide whether or not to render aid to others.

6. Carry essential gear.  Essential gear for an outside event:  Water bottle.  First aid kit that includes a tourniquet.  Knife. Multi-tool. Sun glasses that also provide eye protection.  Indoor essential gear, add a small pocket flashlight which will penetrate smoke and haze, ( a cell phone light will not penetrate smoke and haze.)

It is impossible to anticipate every event.  However, most events will precipitate the need to MOVE.  MOVEMENT to SAFETY will generally always be your highest priority.  If the event is localized to your immediate vicinity, then safety generally lies elsewhere. The most important trait here is a BIAS TOWARDS ACTION.   Take action to improve your crowd situation.

Kevin Reeve is the founder of onPoint Tactical, an Urban & Wilderness Survival School, teaching awareness and a full range of advanced survival skills.

Visit at: www.onpointtactical.com

Plant a herb garden. It’s good to have a reminder around of where our food originates, and this one is super easy.

When they get it, it’ll be second nature to them when they’re adults—and that much easier to pass it down to their children.

The thing I love most about practicing green alternatives in my home is that nine times out of ten, they are the more frugal option.  And I love being frugal.  Being environmentally-friendly is just good economics—in our home and budget, and with the Earth we have.

I am leaving this answer (& discussion) here – don’t believe in erasing mistakes or pretending they didn’t happen. But putting it behind a cut-tag for sure.  For a better answer to this question, and follow-up from the Letter Writer, go here.

Dear Captain Awkward:

I’m quite an anxious person, and may have an anxiety disorder. I’ve been diagnosed with GAD (generalised anxiety disorder). Mostly these worries are about my work, but I also used to be quite socially anxious. I mostly conquered that while at university. However, I’m finding that learning about feminism is making some of this social anxiety rear its head again.

As an example, I’m now petrified of talking to any women I don’t know, unless they talk to me first. Reading about things like Schrodinger’s Rapist makes me worry a lot about how I appear, in case I’m freaking someone out. I’ve read so many accounts of how women felt threatened or uncomfortable when men spoke to them in public.

I used to think that it was up to other people to make me aware of any problems. That was a big part of getting over my social anxiety – I told myself that people had no right to be upset about my behaviour if they weren’t going to call me on it. But I don’t think what I understand about social justice supports that view any more. So the worrying resumes. I’ve basically stopped talking to women in public. I was just at an art exhibition and was about to talk to the woman next to me when I start thinking “what if she thinks I’m hitting on her, and gets upset because she just wanted to look at art and not get creeped on”. So I say nothing and move on. This is ridiculous behaviour and I want to stop, I was so much happier, outgoing and nicer to be around when I didn’t have this on my mind..

It’s possible to be an anti-sexist, pro-feminist, actually nice person without constantly worrying about accidentally oppressing women, right? I also think that women aren’t really helped by my worrying. So any advice on this issue would be great.

XY

Dear XY:

Keep treating your anxiety disorder.

And maybe, if approaching women in public gives you that much anxiety, don’t do it. There is no law that you have to approach women in public, or talk to them first, or that if you do that you ever have to feel okay about it. Maybe it would be okay if women who wanted to talk to you made the choice to talk to you. Then you could feel 100% ok about talking to them. Maybe you are one of the people for whom this will always be fraught. You have your counterparts on the other side, for whom being approached will always be fraught.

I mean, funny you should specifically mention the Schrödinger’s Rapist post , which was designed to convince men to be more thoughtful about how or whether they should approach women in public. It seems like it is making you question how or whether you should approach strange women in public. Your second-guessing of how the world should work, while almost certainly exacerbated by your anxiety disorder, is not a bug, it’s a feature.

So the rest of what you are asking? Where I try to make you feel good about the world and reassure that you’ll never accidentally bother someone because you are one of the good ones who tries to learn about feminism and be aware?

Even if I wanted to alleviate that discomfort for you (I don’t), I couldn’t. Gaining awareness about where you fit into an oppressive system is just painful and hard to deal with. Like, as a white lady who tries really hard not to perpetuate racism, when I accidentally do something racist, or see something racist happen in front of me that isn’t my fault but makes me aware of the degree that I benefit unfairly from having white skin in a racist time and place, it is seriously uncomfortable. If it’s not uncomfortable, something is wrong. That discomfort is mine to carry and to deal with and hopefully repurpose into making shit less racist. To pretend that it compares with the discomfort of actually living in an actually racist society as a person of color is gross and rude and wrong. I do not ask victims of racism to comfort me because injustice makes me feel icky inside sometimes.

Women’s fear of violence from men is not the same as your fear that you might say the wrong thing to a lady and she may not like you. Keep treating your anxiety disorder. Also, get a fucking grip and do not come to feminist blogs for comfort about this issue. THAT is my advice for you.

Signed,

Jennifer

P.S. I wish I had included this material in the OP. 

When you are stuck on a subway car or train, it would be difficult to get yourself to a safe area if the train is crowded. This is why you find a safe location, one that does not lock you into a corner with no escape. Find a location where you are close to an exit but with rear security: a location where you would not have to worry about someone sneaking up towards your back or blindspot.
I know that we as society, tend to get complacent with our security and awareness but when we do bad things happen and will continue to happen because bad people are taking advantage of the horrible situation the US is in and it seems that they are getting away with it. This is why each and every person must be accountable for their safety and not be too scared to find law enforcement and call in someone that is acting suspicious. It used to be called your right to do so and also your duty.
KNOW YOUR EXITS
When you go to a concert or location where there are many, many people, it is advised that you know where the exits are. Wherever you go, ask yourself one thing: If the lights go out, could I find my way out….with the hundreds of people trying to trample over me crying and screaming? Know where the closest exits are located, know possible hiding places such as bathrooms or utility closets, etc. By knowing where they are located, you could possible get to that location in a bad situation and actually survive it.
Bad people are everywhere and they will continue to figure out ways to destroy happy way of life, or ways to crush any sort of happiness that exists because of their beliefs or because they are absolutely off of their rocker. IT happens. If your State allows it, look into firearms training and conceal carry licenses. Some people prefer not to be armed and that is their right and I respect their rights. On the other hand, some people should not CARRY a gun nevermind hold one (or even draw one on a piece of paper for that matter). Each person is different and each person will have their own comfort level with a firearm.
Being armed does not mean you will be bullet proof. Being armed does not mean you will survive a threatening encounter. Being armed does not mean you are a vigilante. Being armed does not mean you are a badass. Being armed does not mean you are the best shooter in the world. Being armed does not mean you know everything about guns. Being armed DOES mean you should have pursued as much information as humanly possible regarding safety, safe gun handling, fundamentals of marksmanship, storage and cleaning of firearms before carrying that firearm.
Many people believe that they already know about firearms because they grew up around them. I grew up watching medical documentaries but I cannot perform brain surgery. Some people believe that because they have watched a bunch of videos on the internet, that they have enough knowledge to survive a dangerous encounter. These people are the ones that end up shooting themselves with their own gun or end up hurting someone else because of mishandling of said firearm.
Bottom line: be responsible for your safety and be watchful. Even though you are on vacation and in a location where there is happiness and excitement around you, there may be evil people that want to destroy others because that is their “mission” or “purpose in life”. Whatever the reason, my only hope is that these idiots end up calling their own devices with their cell phone and explode inside their vehicle, away from innocent people, instead of hurting innocent people around them. Evil will always exist but if you are more proactive about your situation, watchful and aware of your surroundings, safety conscious everywhere you are/go, then you will be ahead of most and hopefully more apt to spot something “out of place”.
As always, be safe, be aware and get trained. Being trained is better than being stuck in a location, frozen, because you cannot think of what to do. Shoot straight!

In preparation for the Boston Marathon, security measures were put in place, intelligence reports read, extra officers put on the streets, helicopters (and drones?) surveillance employed, and other steps were taken to “ensure the safety of the public.” And yet…a few evil people mixed with thousands of good people and tragedy ensued.

The question of who is responsible for our protection is one of the most fundamental and important questions. Every year billions of tax dollars are spent in national security. Cities and counties spend hundreds of thousands to millions for police protection. Yet crime goes on.

I spent 19 years as a police officer. I’d like to think that I made things safer, prevented crimes and provided that protection. In reality, law enforcement on a normal day, will respond to our calls, but the police do little to actually prevent crime. The police do a fantastic job investigating crime and, usually, bring “the perps” to justice.

Again, who is responsible for MY protection?

I am. I am responsible for my protection. As I write this, I am sitting in a coffee shop. Five baristas working, 9 customers at tables, including a state Trooper, others come and go. Four of us work on laptops, there’s a woman with a large purse to my right, directly in front of me, a guy with a backpack. Three people never lift their eyes from their computers, one is wearing earphones. Ah-ha! I just caught the Trooper looking around. Even with a Trooper sitting here, there is a potential for danger. What’s in the purse? What’s in the backpack? Who’s coming in?

It’s habit for me to be aware, watching who is around, what they are doing, assessing the evolving environment around me. This is my nature. I am in Condition Yellow.

Condition yellow? Many years ago, after the advent of the wheel, but before laptop computers, Col. Jeff Cooper, developed the “Color Codes of Awareness.” This is an illustration of awareness levels and a way to do a self-check. Cooper developed this system to help train military personnel to various levels of awareness. The colors are:

Cooper’s Color Codes of Awareness:

White: Oblivious. A total lack of awareness to your environment.

Yellow: This is a general awareness to your environment. You pay attention to people, vehicles, sounds, smells.

Orange: You have detected a potential threat or a change in the environment that warrants you focus.

Red: You engage or are engaged by the threat. This is the time for fight or flight.

(For more on Cooper’s Color Codes of Awareness, go to: http://articlesissue.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/cooper-color-codes-v21pngself-defence-colour-code-system-46728.png)

Imagine in my coffee shop scenario, I am sitting, typing away. I notice people, I maintain a general awareness of my environment. I see a guy walk in, a bulge under his shirt, in front, where one might hide a firearm. He’s in a heightened state of awareness, a little tense. I watch him–condition orange. I listen to how he talks and what he says. I watch his hands. He’s glancing about, his hand moves toward the bulge and lifts the shirt. I see a gun. Now I’m Condition red! It is time to act. Do I attack him? Do I leave the coffee shop? Do I call out a warning to all others? “Awareness is 90% of self defense.”

Well, I just paid for this cup of coffee. So, “How big-a-boy are ya?”

The police will be called, they’ll come collect evidence, do the investigation, the ambulance will transport someone and I’ll finish my damned cup of coffee. We protect ourselves. The police do the best they can but, those intent on doing ill to us, will do what they intend to do with or without the threat of apprehension.

We must stand together. We must watch out for each other. The good outnumber the bad. We don’t need to be black belt martial artists, we don’t all need to carry firearms, we don’t all need to have bomb sniffing dogs. It can be the little things like, courtesy, respect, opening a door for someone, saying hello or, being a good witness when a crime occurs in front of you.

Parents are the best tools for preventing crime, better than any police agency imaginable. If you are a parent and you want to prevent crime, then raise your children with a strong moral compass, with principals and values, a strong sense of respect for life and liberty and with the accepted knowledge that, should they attempt to commit a crime, someone is liable to be there, ready to report them, or jump in and stop them at any cost from committing a crime.

Until then, I’m still here you bastards!

These may include; book signings, speeches, movie premieres, charity events, or any other events where fans or a paying audience may come to be a part of the experience.

As a protector, its important to understand that events like these have an inherent increase of risk. Every possible contingency must be conceived, planned and prepared, and one thing must always be understood. “It’s not over, until its over.”

The game clock starts the moment the Public Figure begins to arrive in their vehicle and does not stop until the moment they are pulling away.

Each passing second is another moment for the would-be attacker to gain confidence, and as the event draws ever closer to its conclusion, the stakes only get higher as the would-be attacker sees their window of opportunity getting more narrow, and they themselves become more desperate.

It has happened so many times in history; Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Benazir Bhutto, and President Ronald Regan, were all attacked on the way to their cars after their “official program” was over.

As I look to Boston this week, and see the heroic actions of the police and first responders responding to the needs of the injured, I am reminded of the need for vigilance throughout the entirety of the event, and not just the main attraction.

Three hours earlier the race had been won, and perhaps for many of the security personnel involved in securing the race, it was all but over. But almost over is not truly over, and almost finished isn’t finished.

Complacency kills and has no business entering into the mindset of those entrusted to be vigilant.

I remember driving a Public Figure home one evening after a long day with a complicated itinerary.

From the back seat and still forty minutes from having him home I heard him say to me, “It was a good day, today. Good job!”

“It’ll be a good day for me once you’re home safe, Sir” I responded politely.

“You’re right,” he said, “Thank you!”

Anything worth doing, is worth doing right, and doing it right means seeing it through…all the way to the end.

The explanation is simple. If we are home alone and someone is breaking into our home, we will immediately call 911. However, if we are driving down the highway and we see a car accident we assume one of the hundred other drivers has already called, so we don’t bother. Unfortunately, the reality is instead of 911 getting one hundred calls about the accident, they get zero.

In the aftermath of Boston, the public has come forth in droves with eyewitness accounts and information about suspicious behavior they witnessed before the tragic bombing had affected a nation. So why didn’t they say something before hand?

There is a very high likelihood that many people saw something that beautiful Monday afternoon that could have thwarted, or at least lessened, the severity of the outcome.

Someone stuffing a black duffle bag into a trash can in the middle of the afternoon is not normal behavior. Yet, so many bystanders who likely saw this activity, thought it so blatant and obvious, that surely somebody had said something to the police – surely this was already being handled. Regrettably, it wasnt.

We as a people have socialized ourselves to rationalize our intrinsic survival instincts away from our better judgment. In Gavin de Becker’s book “Gift of Fear” he discusses how we work against this natural ability to survive and protect ourselves, for fear of offending the feelings of another.

We must all participate in our own safety. Remaining vigilant is such a small price to pay for freedom. We as a nation must accept the fact that this is our new reality, but that by working together we can make a difference. We can no longer live on the fringe of the pendulum arc swinging between hyper-vigilance and complacency. Complacency kills and hyper vigilance will surely squash our freedoms. We must live in the middle with a situational awareness and willingness to protect ourselves.

If you see something, say something. Like the car crash on the highway, the police would rather hear from one hundred drivers than from no drivers at all.

Our ability to defend ourselves should never be lessened by our unwillingness to offend another. Had more people been willing to question the actions of two men that day in Boston, imagine how much differently the day could have ended – and how trivial having hurt their feelings would seem today.

click for more info

This is a story about 100 men who got together to organize a walk in support of women were victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They are all from Western Kentucky University.

You can read the whole story HERE

“Walk a Mile” is an international charitable event that has occurred annually at WKU for four years. Organized by the WKU Interfraternity Council, the charity asked men from across campus to slip into high heels in order to raise awareness about gender violence in the community.”

The incidence of sexual assault in this country is truly mind-boggling with one out of four women the victims. And it doesn’t matter where you are. It’s higher on college campuses. It’s higher in the military. If you’re a woman and if you’re in a domestic abuse situation which one out of every three women is, you are almost bound to get sexually assaulted.

One of the best ways that women can defend themselves is with one of our Mace Pepper Sprays. They offer lots of options and are all highly regarded.

HomeSelfDefenseProducts has provided effective personal protection alarm Self-Defense Products to consumers nationwide. We offer a full-line of premium self-defense weapons such as pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, pepper mace, personal alarms and other self-defense items as well as surveillance cameras and systems for home or business security.

Most of us will feel safest at home, but if you are too far away, identify locations that will offer help, shelter, and communication ability.

“Run to a Restaurant”
Restaurants are great options. They are easily identified, able to accommodate large crowds, and are easy for your family to remember. Restaurants will have food and water, bathrooms, first aid kits, and if the cell towers go down, restaurants will have landlines and internet to learn more about what’s happening and let loved ones know you are safe.

Most of us will never be in a plane crash, yet every time we board an airline we get a safety brief on how to act in an emergency.

Everyday life requires the same preparation.

Anytime you find yourself too far away to run home, it’s good practice to identify locations that could keep you safe in your immediate area.

Having a plan in place will free your mind from additional fear and panic, and in an emergency will allow your mind to focus on what’s most important – getting you to safety.

The sunXgen-800 Portable 800watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel Generator is the most compact setup for this kind of power. This model is 100% U.S. made, ready to made energy, just place the solar panels facing south, and you can have free energy in any kind of weather, rain or shine. Can be used inside or outside safely, emits no fumes, noise, smell, and good for the environment while camping and such.

It’s really easy to move this unit around, making camping a breeze by powering up your fans, radios, or smaller household and other appliances using only free energy from the abundant never ending power of the sun. Can be used to charge you power tools, cell phones, and other devices. Built with an aluminum chassis, engineered to be strong, steel is also corrosion proof.

Power anything from laptops, to cell phones, to small TVs. Perfect for the on the go type of person, which needs power anywhere, anytime. Included with this unit is: Ten watt Solar Panel – 800 watt modified sine wave inverter.

Comes with built-in 800watt modified sine wave inverter

Has 2 solar panel giving up to 40 watts each

105 Amph Battery (1259 watt)

You can charge the battery via solar panels or by using an AC wall outlet

Include 1 GFCI outlet 120 AC volts, and 3 DC 12 volts outlets

 Brand: SunXgen

Model: 800watt

Cost approx.. $1150

This model is meant to be portable; it is insulated, shock resistant & scalable. But the generator 12V DC 115V AC can also be used at home. This models comes with one 45 watt high efficiency 12 Volt crystalline solar panel. The 600W/1200W power inverter is perfect for powering up those big juice suckers. This unit is meant to run for about 6 hours with normal draw when the battery is fully charger, and can run indefinitely when sitting under the sun.

This unit enables you to harness the power of the sun, the most powerful and abundant source of energy known to man. The unit can easily power household type of appliances including desktop computers, small heaters, or even small refrigerators. Also includes DC plug in with the cigarette lighter type plug. Unit comes with needed battery and is ready to run right out of the box.

Solar panels from Sunforce are effective is all areas of sun exposer, low or high, making them perfect anywhere.

This unit weights about 45lbs when battery is installed. The case has extendable handles of easy rolling. The pelican casing is amazing, this case is unbreakable, watertight, airtight, dustproof, chemical resistant and corrosion proof. The casing also includes and automatic purge valve for quick equalization when changing altitude.

This unit comes with a 44 amp hour battery

• Built tough. solar powered 12V DC – 115 AC generator kit with AUX multiport
• This model comes with ONE 45watt high efficiency crystalline solar panel
• Comes equipped with 600watt/1200watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter
• Includes over/under voltage & thermal protection
• Also includes 10Amp regulator with reverse current protection

Brand: Perigee

 Model: 600/1200watt

Cost approx.. $1490

Use your favorite toys anywhere with this solar power unit by Xantrex. This unit can power up to 400 watts of household AC power to run most small appliances and electronics. The Power Pack solar panel are always capturing and storing the sun’s energy, and then converting it, powering and extending the runtime of many portable devices. The unit also comes with 2 AC outlets, a DC socket, and a USB port giving you all the outputs you could need to power anything from laptops to cell phones and small TVs.

It’s a perfect companion for you to take on the road trip, or on the vacation/camping. The Power Pack can simultaneously run many toys at the same time, with its 2×120-volt AC outlets, its 12-volt DC outlet or its USB port. The unit come with a powerful 400watt inverter and a sealed, spill-free 10-amp/hour AGM battery.

Comes with built-in 400watt inverter

Can run 120-Volt AC or 12-Volt DC power

Makes no noise or emissions of any kinds

Perfect for on the road

Can be charge either by a wall outlet or by the sun

Comes plug and play ready with all cables included

• Brand: Xantrex
• Model: 400watt

Cost approx.. $179

click for more info

In our ongoing series of the best of-products in each category today stun Master stun guns, the top three best-selling models

The first is the rechargeable 4.5 million volts RUNT stun gun that is 3 1/2 inches tall and 2 inches wide. It has a safety switch to prevent accidental discharge and uses the detachable wrist strap. It includes a heavy-duty nylon holster and belt loop. The gun must be charge for eight hours before can be used a red light comes on above the safety switch to warn you that the runt is ready to fire

The second one is a battery operated HOTSHOT stun gun shown above that is 4.5 million volts and is only 3 inches long

The third best-selling stun Master stun gun is the 4.5 million volts POWERFUL stun baton. It is also rechargeable and has an LED flashlight included. This also has the popular disable pin wrist strap that disengages of firing pin should the stun baton be taken away from you in a struggle

Don’t forget that April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and Child Abuse Awareness month. Don’t just sit on the sidelines talk about these important issues with friends and family.

Feedback on these posts is appreciated. Please share your experience. We want to hear your thoughts.

The Home Security Superstore is one of the oldest and largest independent distributors of high quality home security, surveillance, spy, self-defense, survival and safety products. We carry a wide range of self-defense products including tasers, stun guns, pepper sprays and other nonlethal weapons that can save your life in the event of an attack.

“The month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in the United States. The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.

SAAM commits to raising awareness and promoting the prevention of sexual violence through use of special events and public education. SAAM provides commands/installations an annual opportunity to highlight Department of Defense (DoD) and Service policies addressing sexual assault prevention and response.

DoD policies address sexual assault prevention and seek to establish a climate of confidence in which:
• education and training create an environment in which sexual assault and the attitudes that promote it are not tolerated;
• victims of sexual assault receive the care and support that they need; and,
• offenders are held accountable for their actions.

Everyone has a role in stopping sexual assault and localizing SAAM activities is a great way to extend this message.”

The incidence of sexual assault against women in the United States is not nearly as bad as it is another parts of the world. Don’t misunderstand, one out of three women are victims of sexual assault at some point in their lives in United States. That’s way too much; but in other parts of the world it’s closer to one out of two.

Women in any kind of situation need to be able to defend themselves and one of the best ways to do that is with one of our Mace Pepper Sprays. They offer lots of options and are all highly regarded

HomeSelfDefenseProducts has provided effective personal protection alarm Self-Defense Products to consumers nationwide. We offer a full-line of premium self-defense weapons such as pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, pepper mace, personal alarms and other self-defense items as well as surveillance cameras and systems for home or business security.

Crime on Tennessee’s college campuses has dropped slightly, but a new report by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows the number of assaults to be increasing at the state’s institutions of higher learning.

You can read the rest of the story HERE.

Authorities go on to report that assaults are up 14% at Tennessee college campuses.

The scary thing is that only 10% of all campus sexual assaults ever get reported. Why is that? Reasons are simple you think about it. In 90% of the cases the victim knows the assailant such as a classmate, a roommate-somebody she knows. There’s an awful lot of peer pressure to just let it slide.

The college campus environment is unique in the sense that so many people are thrust into a situation where they need to get along, make friends and grow up without any parental controls that they may have been used to.

But it doesn’t mean that women can’t defend themselves and the best way to do that is with one of our Mace Pepper Sprays. They offer lots of options and are all highly regarded.

HomeSelfDefenseProducts has provided effective personal protection alarm Self-Defense Products to consumers nationwide. We offer a full-line of premium self-defense weapons such as pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, pepper mace, personal alarms and other self-defense items as well as surveillance cameras and systems for home or business security.

Recently a discussion on a social media site dedicated to massage turned towards issues around screening new clients who call for appointments. I was asked to contribute to the discussion by the site manager, but by the time I arrived things seemed to be spinning out of control. Massage practitioners are passionate people, and unfortunately the environment online does not always allow for the kind of focus that may be beneficial to those who really want information. With this in mind we will be doing a series on some of the suggestions I make to therapists in the classes I teach.

I do not claim to be the one who came up with these ideas, in fact consider every one to be something I stole from someone far smarter than myself, because that’s the truth. With that in mind let’s get started.

1. Call Screening

Screen calls from new clients carefully, don’t be hesitant to slow things down and take your time. We are often multi-tasking already when the phone rings and most research is pretty clear on what that does to our ability to focus. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your caller specifically what they are looking for if you have any suspicions about their intentions. Consider that you may learn more from open-ended questions than from yes/no questions.

Tell me more

We have the good fortune of working in a wonderful and safe profession, and our good intentions usually carry the day and prevent problems from occurring. Having said that we still need to remember that there are at least two sets of intentions involved when we interact with others. After twenty years in law enforcement I saw far too many wonderful people with good intentions harmed by people with other ideas or who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Good intentions paired with self awareness and a willingness to trust your gut, can create your best outcomes.

Conclusion

Just as we are prepared to screen clients for medical history, and contraindications we must also be prepared to screen clients who may pose a threat to our well being. I know many therapists who feel that even discussing this concern is a path to problems, however to believe this train of thought begs the question as to whether all victims somehow asked for something bad to happen to them, and that borders on the absurd. We make thousands of choices and decisions every day, and assuming we can get them all right is unfair and ludicrous, we’re only human. Sadly, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and no one deserves to be a victim of someone with bad intentions or who’s out of control behavior disregards our own well being. Be willing to simply pass on a client if need be. There is no amount of money you can charge worth risking your safety.

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Butch Watson, L.M.P. / R.P.D. (ret.)
Lavon “Butch” Watson is a retired police detective and a successful licensed massage practitioner since 1997. In 2008 he combined his diverse skill set to become an acknowledged national expert on illicit massage and personal safety for massage practitioners. His popular CE personal safety training for the massage practitioner is the most unique offered anywhere in the United States. His informative and eye-opening CE ethics training classes address every aspect of illicit massage and its affects on the legitimate massage practice, as well as the often silent victims of human trafficking.

The principle of being Fearless is not living without fear.  It is knowing what to do when it matters most.  Once you are aware, confident, and knowledgeable you tend to fear-less the unknown.

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Workplace Violence Video Training and Violence Prevention (SD)

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Risk Factors

The following references provide information on risk factors and scope of violence in the workplace and may help increase awareness of workplace violence:

Federal Agency Guidance

• Workplace Violence, 1993-2009 [624 KB PDF, 18 pages]. US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (2011, March 29). Presents data from 1993 through 2009 from the National Crime Victimization Survey estimating the extent of workplace violence in the United States.
• Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure and major private industry sector [460 KB PDF, 23 pages]. US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), (2010). Includes the category “Assaults and Violent Acts”.
• Workplace Violence Prevention Strategies and Research Needs. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2006-144, (2006, September). Summarizes discussions that took place during Partnering in Workplace Violence Prevention: Translating Research to Practice, a landmark conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 15-17, 2004.
• Violence in the Workplace – Preventing It; Managing It. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), (2004, March 1). Shares expertise of representatives from law enforcement, private industry, government, law, labor, professional organizations, victim services, the military, academia, mental health as well as the FBI on this important issue. This monograph resulted from a June 2002 symposium hosted by the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime entitled “Violence in the Workplace.”
• Violence on the Job. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-100d, (2004). Discusses practical measures for identifying risk factors for violence at work, and taking strategic action to keep employees safe. Based on extensive NIOSH research, supplemented with information from other authoritative sources.
• Violence Occupational Hazards in Hospitals. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-101, (2002, April). Also available as a 105 KB PDF, 15 pages. Increases employee and employer awareness of the risk factors for violence in hospitals and provides strategies for reducing exposure to these factors.
• Workplace Violence: Issues in Response [6 MB PDF, 80 pages]. US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (2002). Developed from the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime’s “Violence in the Workplace” symposium June 10-14, 2002 as a guide to businesses, small and large, and government in implementing a proactive workplace violence prevention strategy.
• Sygnatur, Eric F. and Guy A. Toscano. “Work-related Homicides: The Facts” [76 KB PDF, 6 pages]. US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Safety, Health and Working Conditions Compensation and Working Conditions Article, (2000, Spring). Provides information on work-related homicides, including information about the perpetrators, demographics of the decedents, and other relevant facts about these events, such as the time of the incident, the location, and the type of establishment in which the homicide occurred. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of these incidents are not crimes of passion committed by disgruntled coworkers and spouses, but rather result from robberies.
• Stress… at Work. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-101, (1999). Highlights knowledge about the causes of stress at work and outlines steps that can be taken to prevent job stress. Defines job stress as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury. Explores a combination of organizational change and stress management as the most useful approach for preventing stress at work.
• Handbook on Workplace Violence Prevention and Response [874 KB PDF, 15 pages]. US Department of Agriculture, (2001, October). Addresses prevention of workplace violence, employers’ and employees’ responsibilities, identification of potentially violent situations and response to violent incidents.
• Violence in the Workplace – Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Current Intelligence Bulletin 57, (1996, July). Reviews what is known about fatal and nonfatal violence in the workplace to determine the focus needed for prevention and research efforts. Reports that each week in the United States, an average of 20 workers are murdered and 18,000 are assaulted while at work. These staggering figures should not be an accepted cost of doing business in our society—nor should death or injury be an inevitable result of one’s chosen occupation.
• Preventing Homicide in the Workplace. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 93-109, (1995, May). Reports workplaces with the highest rates of occupational homicide were taxicab establishments, liquor stores, gas stations, detective/protective services, justice/public order establishments (including courts, police protection establishments, legal counsel and prosecution establishments, correctional institutions, and fire protection establishments), grocery stores, jewelry stores, hotels/motels, and eating/drinking places. Taxicab establishments had the highest rate of occupational homicide–nearly 40 times the national average and more than three times the rate of liquor stores, which had the next highest rate.
• Occupational Violence. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic. Reports that an average of 1.7 million people were victims of violent crime while working or on duty in the United States each year from 1993 through 1999 according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Includes NIOSH publications as well as other US government occupational violence links including a psychological first aid manual for mental health providers.

State and Local Guidance

• Maine’s Caregivers, Social Assistance and Disability Rehabilitation Workers Injured by Violence and Aggression in the Workplace in 2011 [439 KB PDF, 18 pages]. Maine Department of Labor, (2012, July). This document is a report which contains statistical information regarding provider injuries from violent/aggressive actions of recipients of care/services.
• Workplace Violence: A Report to the Nation [331 KB PDF, 16 pages]. University of Iowa (UI) Injury Prevention Research Center, (2001, February). Summarizes the problem of workplace violence and the recommendations identified by participants at the Workplace Violence Intervention Research Workshop in Washington, DC, April, 2000.
• Cal/OSHA Guidelines for Workplace Security. State of California, (1995, March 30). Characterizes establishments, profiles and motives of the agent or assailant, and identifies preventive measures by type. In California, the majority (60 percent) of workplace homicides involved a person entering a small late-night retail establishment. Nonfatal Type II events involving assaults to service providers, especially to health care providers, may represent the most prevalent category of workplace violence resulting in physical injury.
• Violence in the Workplace: Accepted Disabling Claims due to Assaults and Violent Acts, Oregon, 2001-2005 [908 KB PDF, 26 pages]. Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, (2006, December). Provides a study of Workers’ Compensation Claims Caused by Violent Acts, 2001 to 2005.
• Most Workplace Violence on Women Hidden, Says Center Report. University of Albany (UA), Center for Women in Government. Summarizes and comments on a report addressing workplace violence, emphasizing data specific to women. Two-thirds of the nonfatal attacks on women are committed by patients or residents in institutional settings. Husbands, boyfriends and ex-partners commit 15 percent of all workplace homicides against women. Women are more likely to suffer serious injury from workplace violence than men. Women who are victims of violent workplace crimes are twice as likely as men to know their attackers.

Training & Other Resources

Training

• Workplace Violence. OSHA. Contains links to a variety of training and reference materials, including presentations, publications, and handouts.
• Developing a Violence Prevention Program. Oregon OSHA Online Course 120. Provides recommendations for quickly assessing the state of an organization’s current policies and practices and on steps to consider in developing a Workplace Violence Prevention Program (WVPP) to reduce the hazards of workplace violence.
• Training. University of Minnesota (UM), Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse. Provides training resources specific to workplace violence, including US Office of Personnel Management guide, the OSHA guidelines, and a prevention guide from the State of Mississippi.

Additional Information

• Tri-national Conference on Violence as a Workplace Risk. US Department of Labor (DOL), North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), (2001, November 29-30). Raises awareness of the issue of psychological and physical violence in North American workplaces, and provides practical solutions by sharing information, highlighting best practices, and identifying successful methods of prevention.
• Institutionalized Violence: When Does Care Giving become Submission to Violence? Work-related Risks for Health Care Providers (A) [227 KB PDF, 36 pages]. University of Minnesota (UM), Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Center on Women and Public Policy. Allows for discussion of sexual harassment as an occupational health and safety issue and supports exploration of employer liability for harassment committed by developmentally disabled adults in care. Includes an abstract, case study, epilogue and teaching notes.

Prevention Programs

The following references provide guidance for evaluating and controlling violence in the workplace.

OSHA Guidance

• Preventing Violence Against Taxi and For-Hire Drivers [64 KB PDF^*, 1 page]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2010, April).
• Recommendations for Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Late-Night Retail Establishments [404 KB PDF^*, 40 pages]. OSHA Publication 3153-12R, (2009).
• Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care & Social Service Workers. OSHA Publication 3148-01R, (2004). Also available as a 624 KB PDF, 47 pages.
• Workplace Violence [362 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002). A Spanish version [67 KB PDF^*, 2 pages] is also available. Provides basic information about vulnerable occupations, employer/employee roles in prevention and protection, and recommendations for response to violent incidents.
• Hospital. OSHA eTool.
  • Workplace Violence. Includes recommendations for establishing a violence prevention program.
• Young Worker Safety in Restaurants. OSHA eTool. Provides young employees and their employers safety solutions for workplace violence in specific areas of a restaurant.
  • Drive-thru
  • Serving

Other Federal Agency Guidance

• Home Healthcare Workers: How to Prevent Violence on the Job [517 KB PDF, 2 pages]. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2012–118, (2012, February).
• Workplace Violence Prevention Strategies and Research Needs. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2006-144, (2006, September).
• Violence on the Job. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-100d, (2004). Discusses practical measures for identifying risk factors for violence at work, and taking strategic action to keep employees safe. Based on extensive NIOSH research, supplemented with information from other authoritative sources.
• Grassroots Worker Protection. Occupational Safety and Health State Plan Association (OSHSPA), (1999). Describes how state programs help to ensure safe and healthful workplaces.
  • Preventing Workplace Violence. Highlights activities in state plan states.
• Stress… at Work. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-101, (1999). Highlights knowledge about the causes of stress at work and outlines steps that can be taken to prevent job stress.
• Preventing Homicide in the Workplace. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 93-109, (1995, May). Helps employers and employees to identify high-risk occupations and workplaces, informs employers and employees about their risks, encourages employers and employees to evaluate risk factors in their workplaces and implement protective measures, and encourages researchers to gather more detailed information about occupational homicide and to develop and evaluate protective measures.
• Occupational Violence. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic. Provides basic information on workplace violence including risk factors and prevention strategies.
• New Directions from the Field: Victims’ Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Business Community. US Department of Justice (DOJ), Chapter 12 of the New Directions report on crime victims, (1998, August). Also available as a 145 KB PDF, 12 pages. Deals with victims rights and services in the business environment, and contains a section on workplace violence and provides practical advice for the business community on assisting the victims of workplace violence.
• Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners. US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Also available as a 2 MB PDF, 156 pages. Assists those who are responsible for establishing workplace violence initiatives at their agencies. This handbook is the result of a cooperative effort of many federal agencies sharing their expertise in preventing and dealing with workplace violence.

State and Local Guidance

• Workplace Violence Prevention. Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry. Provides links to prevention resources including workplace violence videos, links to other organizations and training resources:
  • A Comprehensive Guide for Employers and Employees [100 KB PDF, 29 pages]. Provides guidance to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention program. Includes model policy, sample forms, threat and assault log, five warning signs of escalating behavior, sample workplace weapons policy, sample policy about domestic violence in the workplace and personal conduct to minimize violence.
• Violence Prevention Brochure: Maintaining a Safe Workplace. University of California – Davis (UC Davis). Presents information designed to highlight stresses and risks in the work environment, to enhance workplace safety, and to reduce and prevent disruption and violence.
• MINCAVA Electronic Clearinghouse – Workplace Violence. Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA), University of Minnesota (UM). Provides resources identified by the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse specific to workplace violence.

Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Workplace Violence Incidents. OSHA Directive CPL 02-01-052, (2011, September 8).