There are three broad elements that are needed for a crime to be committed:
1. A victim
2. An attacker
3. An opportunity
Affecting any one of these elements of the crime triangle will have a dramatic affect on your personal safety and self-defense. Realistically, we can only hope to have an influence on two of the three — the victim and the opportunity. We can't control the attacker.
Predators are looking for opportunities and vulnerabilities.
Being a hard target through your awareness, your presence, and your skills can mean that you do not fit a “victim” profile to an attacker. In effect, you are deterring an attack. The attacker wants an easy victory.
Predators are deterred by the odds of getting caught or hurt.
Denying a predator the opportunity to surprise you or get you in a private place to attack you means you have ruined his plans. That takes awareness. Look for men who are looking at you — or trying hard to look like they are not looking at you.
Develop the mindset that you can and will resist, get the information and training to give you the skills necessary to protect yourself from crime.