Personal safety

The chances of you or a member of your family becoming a victim of violent crime are low. Violent crimes by strangers in public places are still rare and account for a very small part of recorded crime.

However, you can make yourself even less likely to be a victim of a violent crime, e.g. mugging or assault, by taking a few precautions. Many are common sense and may be things you already do.

Did you know...?

In 44% of all violent incidents, victims believed offenders to be under the influence of alcohol

There are different sections here for men and women because men and women experience crime and violent crime differently. It is important to remember this so that you can protect yourself as well as possible, but men and women will find points of interest in both sections.

You should think about how you would act in different situations before you are in them. Think about whether you would stay and defend yourself using reasonable force (See: Self defence), risking further injury, or whether you would give an attacker what they want, to avoid injury. There is nothing wrong with doing either, but you should think about the options – there will be no time to do so if you are attacked.

Date rape

Date rape is when someone puts drugs in your drink in order to take advantage of you when your senses are distorted by the drugs. There are some measures you can take to prevent yourself from being a victim of date rape.
Hate crime

Hate crimes are directed against people because of some aspect of who they are, most often because they are from an ethnic minority or visible religious minority, or because of their sexuality.
Online dating safety

Online dating and social networking sites are getting more and more popular. But how safe are they and how safe is your information?
Men

While women are most at risk from men on their own, men are more at risk from groups of men.
Personal safety tips

It's always better to be safe than sorry - follow some of our personal safety tips to help keep yourself safer.
Theft and robbery

Street robbery is generally known as mugging or bag snatching. Pickpocketing is different, as victims aren't aware that the offence is taking place.
Transport

Here are some tips about how you can keep yourself safe when you're making a journey, whether you are using public transport, driving or taking a taxi.
Women

Everyone has the right to live free of unwanted attention, harassment and abuse. Read our advice to find out what this means for women and what you could do in some situations.
Be safe and stay safe: Practical personal safety tips by Andrew Greenslade M.Ed

Andrew Greenslade, former long-service police detective, special branch officer, crime investigation skills trainer and Sky TV's resident UK police expert, shares some personal safety tips with Crimestoppers. Based on testimonials from real, serious and violent crimes, Andrew's advice could help prevent you from being a victim of crime. [September 2009]

Distraction Burglary - Identity sought

Offence: Burglary

Identity of male sought. The male stated he was from the Water Board in order to gain entry in to premises.

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Case study

Darren Stevens has been volunteering for his local Crimestoppers board for 11 years. With a background in marketing and PR, Darren is accustomed to se...

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Crimestoppers, sponsored by The Security Industry Authority

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