Listen to Laura Long, a self-defence instructor, who runs personal safety courses. • Count how many pieces of advice

6 pieces.

Tapescript (Ex. ЗА)

Make sure you don’t allow fear to affect your life. I will teach you how to move on from this fear by arming yourselves with the knowledge of how to cope if the worst should happen. Here are some tips for staying safe on the streets.

1 Don’t look like a victim. All attackers arc looking for a victim, not an equal, so always look strong and confident. Hold your head up high and look ahead of you, not down at the pavement.

2 Make sure you have a plan. Work out an effective strategy thinking about what you’d do if you were attacked. Be careful not to be taken by surprise if the situation develops - and you are three times more likely not to freeze.

3 Never shout ‘\'Help!” Few people will respond because they don’t want to get involved. The best thing is to shout “Fire!” This will both attract attention and shock your attacker.

4 Fight back if you can. The last thing attackers expect is aggression or anger.

5 Empty your bag. If someone stops you and says, “Give me your bag!”, take a step back, open your bag with your arms outstretched, shake its contents onto the ground and shout as loud as you can “Take what you want!” - adding a choice of swearwords. He will either be so shocked, he’ll run off, or he’ll take two seconds to grab your purse and run, leaving you with all your personal stuff (including your door keys).

6 Get in touch with your anger. Your voice and your face arc your best defenses. Contort your face so that you look very angry and yell into the attacker’s face as loud as you can, “No!”.