Preventative Self-Defense – Situational Awareness

Most people go through their day-to-day lives without a care in the

world. Wake up, get ready for work, drive to work, maybe head to
the bar after work and then travel home. Depending on where you
live or if you travel frequently (and where your travels take you), you
may never even consider that you could be targeted as a victim, be
it for violence, non-consensual sexual activity or theft.

Avi Nardia & Aleksandar Jovkovic

https://aleksandarjovkovic.myportfolio.com/
 While out drinking or
socializing with stran-
gers, our brains tend
to focus more on the
conversation or on how
interesting a venue is
rather than thinking of
what ways a potential
attacker may be trying to
chemically break down our
resistance, though it’s some-
thing we need to be aware of.
“Roofies” is a term derived
from the drug “Rohypnol” and
has become synonymous as the
date-rape drug of choice, howe-
ver GHB, Ketamine and the right
amount of alcohol can all be used
to break down our resistance or
make us an easy target. Typically
used on women, these drugs affect
both sexes and can result in theft or
worse. While one typically associates
such activity with college parties or at
bars, it can happen to anyone who is not
being careful and exercising basic situa-
tional awareness.
 Following a few tips can go a long way to protecting yourself in
public situations and be on your guard especially when you’re
alone or visiting foreign countries where you’re not familiar with
your surroundings, the people around you or the relative safety of
the neighborhood you may find yourself in.
1. Research areas you are unfamiliar with and have a gene-
ral idea of the security of the neighborhood. As soon as you enter
an establishment, try to get a read on the crowd and if you feel like
something is off, trust your gut and find a new place.
2. Whenever possible, don’t go out alone. Take a friend or
friends with you and if you’re in unfamiliar territory, try to bring
along a friend or co-worker who is local to the area or more fami-
liar with the safe zones. While having people you trust with you
may not prevent you from getting roofied, you’ll at least know that
you’re in good hands if you find yourself in a compromised state
and have people who can take care of you and vice-versa.
3. When possible, hold your hand over the top of your drink,
especially if there’s a lot of movement around you that’s hard to
keep track of. If you can put some type of lid or cover on your
drink, even better.
4. Take your drink with you or finish your drink if you need to
leave it unattended. If you’re with friends, ask a trusted friend to
watch your drink and move it over to where they can better obser-
ve it.
5. Be aware of when you drink was poured by who and if it
is ever handled. When at house parties, pour your own drink and
don’t trust strangers or acquaintances you’re not familiar with to
mix your drinks or open them prior to handing them to you. Being
aware at all times where your drink has been is critical to ensuring
there’s no foul play.
 6. Know the signs! Feeling confused, losing memory or feeling too drunk too fast are all
signs of ingesting disinhibiting or sedative drugs. While you may not have time to get to a safe
place, try to alert an employee or trusted friend of how you are feeling and to get you to a safe
place. Also, be sure to look for these signs and know how to act if you see a friend you are with
exhibiting these signs. Stick together and have a plan.
In general, it’s important to know your limits. Simply ingesting too much alcohol or not getting
out of a bad place when you feel something is off while sober can put you at risk of being vic-
timized. In his book, The Gift of Fear, Gavin de Becker exhorts us to trust our gut in these situa-
tions, “Intuition is always right in at least two important ways; it is always in response to some-
thing and it always has your best interest at heart.” Not being ashamed to walk out of a club,
bar or party that just feels ‘off’ is an important component of situational awareness and can
avoid a bad outcome altogether.
 “While you may
believe you will never
be a victim, a little
caution and
situational awareness
can go a long way”
 While you may believe you will never be
a victim, a little caution and situational
awareness can go a long way. Beware if
someone is coercing you into drinking
more than you are comfortable with and
call a friend or tell a bartender or waiter if
you believe there may be foul play afoot.
Do your research and know your surroun-
dings and have a plan in the event that
you feel like you are losing control.
Whenever possible, have a few close
friends with you or at least notify them of
your whereabouts and check in when you
are home safely. Many martial artists can
train their whole life to defend themselves,
but disinhibiting drugs can lower your
defenses and make you powerless. Don’t
let yourself be victimized, exercise situa-
tional awareness!