Personal safety is everyone’s top priority. Being robbed is an emotional situation and not fun for anyone to experience. Robbery is something that is experienced by a great many people around the globe. We often hear news about robbery taking place at any time of the day, even in broad daylight. Deep down we all hope to not face any such situation. Therefore, it is necessary to have a know-how of things that you can do when you get robbed.
Things to do When You Get Robbed
Listen to the Robber
No possession is worth more than your life. Pay attention to what the robber demands and give it to them without any second thought. Assume all the weapons are real and loaded and they can attack you for their own benefit.
Avoid Physical Violence
Unless necessary, never escalate the situation with physical violence. With physical violence, you are at more risk of harm. The intentions of the robbers are pretty clear, they can engage in harm if you resist, to get what they want. The only exception to violence is when the robbers are trying to drag you into a different place. At a different place, your chances of survival drop. In that case, fight with all your might and escape the situation.
Report a Crime
After the robbery has taken place, immediately seek a safe location. Once you feel safe, report a crime to the police for immediate action against the robbers. If you are in an isolated area, move to the area having people and try to have someone stay with you till the police arrive. If there were any witnesses at the time of the robbery, request them to stay with you till the police arrive and if they are insisting on leaving, then record their phone number and address.
Things to Include in a Report
If there is more than one robber, try to pay attention to the conversations they are having. Do they refer to each other with direct names or nicknames? Any location they might have mentioned? Always remember the things they have touched to make it easy for the police officers to get fingerprints. Take mental notes of the robber’s appearance as well to include in the report. These include race, age, height, clothes, and facial features, etc.
Carry Mace or Pepper Spray
If your daily life involves moving around alone, you must carry mace or pepper spray to avoid the mishap. Both these are an excellent deterrent to be used against the robbers. However, mace or pepper spray won’t be of any help if not reachable instantly. Keep these close to you all the time.
Call Attention to Yourself
If you are in a public place and you think people can approach your help, call attention to yourself. While getting robbed, try screaming, yelling, or make as much noise as possible. The least thing robbers want is to gain attention. This might make them flee away.
Use Distraction
If you are being robbed, take a look if they are carrying any weapons. If not, you can distract them only if you feel confident. For example, if robbers are asking for your wallet, you can throw it high up in the air. This way robbers will get distracted and you can run to the nearest safe corner and seek help. Another example is, if you have a gut feeling of being chased, enter some business place and call the police from there.
Address the Emotional Impact
Getting robbed is a very unsettling thing and takes a toll on your well-being. It disturbs you emotionally leaving you scared and feared. It is important to accept the fact that robbery has taken place. Confront your emotions without leaving them unaddressed. You can also approach friends and family to discuss your feelings and discussing them ease half of your suffering. If you still are not able to improve and your daily life is disturbed drastically, consulting a therapist or a counselor is a good option. If you are a working person, ask your employer to give you a day off to de-stress.
Don’t be a Hero
While some people are tempted to resolve the case themselves, it is wise to take a time off, focus on yourself own self and let the police handle the situation. If you come up with any new piece of information, inform the police. If you try to approach the robbers yourself to recover your items, you will only complicate the case for the police.
Concluding Remarks
No one wishes to ever face a robbery. Keeping in mind these things will greatly reduce your chances of a repeat incident. In order to avoid becoming a victim, take a self-defense class.
Self-defense makes you strong and confident while dealing with the robbers and you will need to handle less emotional impact afterward.
