This will be a short chapter, but probably not for the reason you think! It is abundantly clear that becoming a victim of crime is not a measure of masculinity, intelligence, strength or any other supposedly male attribute. An adult male can make himself vulnerable to crime by being stupid, careless and forgetful just as much as a woman or a child. There is a slight difference, as men probably assume that they can take care of themselves in most threatening situations, so their motivation to read and follow the advice in this book is probably quite low.

No matter what your thoughts are, I strongly suggest that you read the whole book. Don’t skip any pages, and certainly don’t assume that any of the chapters don’t apply to you just because of the chapter titles I may have given. All of the advice is relevant to everyone – or rather you can learn from all of the advice given in this book. Allow me to illustrate that point.

There is a section in chapter 6 that describes the threats, risks and vulnerabilities that women face when shopping. As a man you may have decided to skip over that entire chapter. If you do you will miss some valuable lessons and advice. The advice to women about handbags could also be relevant you, if you look at the lessons and countermeasures and use your skill and intelligence to apply them to your circumstances. For example, the advice might inspire you into adopting some similar countermeasures to protect your wallet, rucksack or toolbox. Similarly, the advice on shopping may be relevant.

Men shop! The real lesson is that no matter what we have in those carrier bags, we are just as vulnerable to having our shopping stolen as the ladies.You may be able to make use of specific advice in a different way. If you read and learn from the advice to women about avoiding potentially dangerous situations, you might be able to help and advise your girlfriend, wife, daughter or mother to ensure their safety. At the same time you should become more aware of how a fun night out with the guys could be intimidating or frightening to women, as well as realising that that woman could be your sister, daughter, mother or even future wife!While everyone needs advice, statistics show that it is usually younger men who often become the victims of violent crime. Whatever the reason, the result is that younger men are more at risk.

Why Young Men?

On average, young men between the ages of about 17 and 19 are 25 times more likely to be the victim of an assault, robbery or other violent crime than anyone else. There is a sliding scale that extends beyound 19 years of age, and only really begins to reach a normal/average level of risk when men get to the age of about 34. If you aren’t a young man aged between 17 and 19, don’t skip this chapter though. The common sense and advice may be helpful to you.

Why young men in particular? I am not medically trained but I will attempt to paraphrase what I have been told! In summary, there are physiological and psychological reasons why young men are more likely to be involved in disputes, crime and violence.

Young men want to establish their own independence, to take their own path, to compete with other males to earn a rank and status in the ‘pack’ – no different to wolves or other animals really! When they approach adult status, their physiology changes and hormones start to flow and any ‘young buck’ wants to pose and make a name for himself. He wants to establish status and display his strength.

Psychologically, they want to prove themselves, show their parents that they have achieved adulthood, as well as the important need to be seen to be strong so that they can attract a mate. Anything that allows them to prove their strength and, in their eyes their masculinity, is a good thing. The smallest apparent slight, insult or challenge has to be met with verbal and physical resistance. They want to prove to themselves and the world that they are men! Given that, there is one other important factor that is a major cause of trouble.