Answering the question, What is personal safety?, is undoubtedly worthwhile. Personal safety represents the ability and right to live without threat or fear of psychological, emotional, or physical harm perpetrated by others. It has emerged as a key feature of human security, with great ramifications for individuals and social cohesion in general. Generally speaking, personal safety is defined in broad terms as liberty from physical harm, threat of physical harm, and liberty from hostility, aggression, and harassment.
It is often expressed that personal safety is a matter of common sense, but common sense is not always translated into common practice. The disparity between the two underlines the importance of education, awareness, and strategies that are actionable to protect oneself. It also shows the need for change within society, whereby communities as a whole learn to place safety as one of the shared values.
Defining Personal Safety
I personally very much like the research piece titled Personal Safety on University Campuses – Defining Personal Safety Using the Delphi Method,in which Joanna Waters, Richard Neale, Sue Hutson, and Kevin Mears of the University of Glamorgan defined personal safety as “an individual’s ability to go about their everyday life free from the threat or fear of psychological, emotional, or physical harm from others.“
This definition underlines not just physical safety but also emotional and psychological security, an increasingly critical consideration in modern society.
Similarly, the World Health Organization identifies safety as a determinant of health and well-being. According to them “…safety is not merely the absence of violence but the presence of conditions that promote security, trust, and freedom from fear.“
These perspectives provide a comprehensive framework for understanding personal safety in today’s increasingly complex and interrelated and integrated world.
The Role of Situational and Environmental Awareness
Personal safety pertains to situational and environmental awareness: the art of being observant and aware of one’s particular situation and environment. It allows the individual to identify any potential danger, make sound judgements, and take necessary actions to minimise the risk. It is an attitude and a skill that develops and improves with practice and learning. Principles of personal safety are:
- Trust your instincts: If you think something feels ‘off’—if you feel uneasy or scared, rely on your instinctive gut response. They are too often your initial defence. As Gavin de Becker, author of The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence, astutely writes, “It’s always right in at least two ways: it’s in response to something, and it has your best interest at heart.” Developing a close relationship with your intuition is essential in making timely and protective decisions.
- Be Aware: Be aware of your surroundings and the people in them, while projecting confidence. Know your environment and travel plans, as this knowledge can prevent becoming a victim. Know where the nearest exits are, allowing you to leave the area quickly if needed. Something as simple as walking with a purpose or maintaining steady eye contact with others can show that you are ready and aware; this can deter a potential attacker.
- Avoid Unnecessary Risks: Minimise your exposure to potentially dangerous situations by making thoughtful choices. For instance, choose well-lit routes, avoid isolated areas, and keep trusted individuals informed of your whereabouts. Pay attention to environmental factors such as available exits, crowded spaces, or areas with limited visibility, as these can significantly influence your ability to respond to threats. While it is impossible to eliminate all risks to personal safety, taking proactive steps to mitigate them can greatly enhance your sense of security and preparedness.
- Acting Under Danger: In the case of a threatening situation, try escaping instead of fighting if possible. Fighting back any aggression with aggression usually makes it escalate further and increases the likelihood of injury. You must make your objective to safely get away as fast as possible in such situations. Advance preparation and practice of confident responses can facilitate clear and assured action under the pressure of immediacy. But in those situations where there is no escape and the threat is imminent and life-threatening, one has to make surefooted and resolute action. At that moment, I want you to summon all your strength and willpower to neutralise the threat. For one brief, critical moment, allow yourself to set aside your inhibitions and moral code and use whatever force necessary to survive and create an opportunity to safely escape. For a more profound understanding of what real self-defence involves, from the legal, ethical, and practical perspectives, I invite you to my book, NEVER A VICTIM. It provides in-depth insight and strategies to help you take control of your personal safety.
- Incident Reporting: It is reporting even minor incidents that is a key factor in the protection of others and develops a pattern of unsafe behaviour. By sharing experiences, communities, personal safety app developers, and support organisations can build up databases of information that enable better-informed responses to future risks.
Addressing Specific Challenges
Some people have special problems and dangers that require specific strategies for self-protection. Statistics from around the world indicate that a significant percentage of the population, especially women, have experienced rape or sexual assault, stalking, drink spiking, or domestic abuse in their lifetime. This grim reality calls for sensitive and effective measures to help individuals lead their lives with freedom and safety.
Practical Approaches to Empowerment
- Risk Factor Education: Understanding the dynamics of harassment, abuse, and violence as potential threats educates the individual on how such risks manifest. That is a good starting point.
- Practical Safety Measures: Self-defence training, personal safety apps or alarms, and mobile applications are just a few tools and mechanisms available to help one stay connected to their trusted networks in times of distress. Technology can provide real-time support and peace of mind when used thoughtfully for you and your loved ones.
- Community Support: It is much more than the building of support networks to share experiences and strategies. Such networks, provided through face-to-face interaction, community campaigns, or online platforms, offer a sense of solidarity and practical advice. A strong support system also counters the isolation usually experienced by persons under threat.
Transformative Safety Initiatives
- Promoting Awareness: Campaigns and programmes should be directed to inform the communities of the essence of personal safety and how to cultivate safe environments. These initiatives should begin early in life by addressing the youth to inculcate the values of healthy relationships, mutual respect, and kindness.
- Improving Accessibility to Resources: Ensuring that people have easy access to confidential support services, hotlines, and other safety tools. The more accessible these resources are, the more they will be used, creating a ripple of empowerment and recovery.
- Encouragement of Reporting and Advocacy: Being able to report without judgement or repercussions is very important. As Gisèle Pelicot said, “Shame must change sides.” Such an environment should provide support and believe in survivors to break the chain of silence and facilitate justice. The role of advocacy for systemic change, including better laws and mechanisms for their enforcement, becomes very crucial in transforming societal norms.
The Psychological Dimension
Personal safety is not only a physical issue but also very much a psychological one. To live in a state of high alert is to invite anxiety, stress, and hyper-awareness into one’s life. Given this reality, personal safety strategies will have to incorporate ways of ensuring psychological resilience, such as mindfulness, stress management techniques, and professional support when necessary.
Conclusion
Personal safety is a universal human right and a cornerstone of societal well-being. It is also important to instil situational and environmental awareness, trust intuition, insist on strong protections, and equip individuals with real-life strategies to feel safe and supported. As international leaders and experts in the field of personal safety, it’s our responsibility to light the way forward so that no one is left vulnerable to harm. It will be through the application of best practices, expert opinion, and a commitment to education that the aspiration of personal safety for all will be realised.