Reply #9: yuppers [View All]

[iverglas]

As police we are frequently called upon to offer advice to community members in relation to appropriate actions to take when an individual’s personal safety is threatened. Whilst the availability of one ‘set’ answer would be comforting to many, the reality is that no-one can provide one safety option that will work with 100 percent effectiveness in 100 percent of situations. Rather, it is important to emphasise that an individual involved in such a confrontation needs to be aware of a wide range of personal safety options, in order to draw upon those that they feel will best preserve their safety in the given situation.

This section will address the following issues:

The importance of taking ‘action’ as opposed to ‘inaction’ to deal with a threat to our personal safety; and

The three major factors that assist in determining appropriate safety options in any given situation. These being:

1.the personal strengths and weaknesses of the defender;
2.the perceived motivations for the attack/confrontation; and
3.any relevant environmental factors accompanying the attack.

Further to the above issues, this section will also outline a number of specific actions which may be utilised in a confrontational situation. This will be done in order to provide community members with a range of effective safety options for use, should their personal safety ever be threatened.

The language was a little awkward, but "Options to Physical Self Defence" plainly means ALTERNATIVES to physical self-defence, and in the context it is plain that they are offered as alternatives for those who may wish or need to use them, not as a recommendation that they be used in place of physical self-defence.

Will the misrepresentations never end ...