A number of studies have been done on why one person is chosen over another by criminals. This is known as the study of “victimology” which is a branch of criminology. One surprising factor that emerged during the studies was that criminals do not choose their victims based on age, gender, race or size but rather on characteristics which could be deemed vulnerable, easy to control or manipulate.

Most of these characteristics are subconscious and often most people don’t even know they are displaying these behaviours.

Some of the characteristics identified by researches include:

• Moving at a slower pace than the normal flow of pedestrian traffic.
• Dragging or shuffling your feet – walking without a sense of purpose.
• Awkward movement with less coordination and balance or confidence.
• A slumped posture with a downward gaze – this often indicates a general unawareness of your surroundings which can be viewed as submissive behaviour or indicate an easier target because the victim will not notice the criminal until the last minute.
• Any form of distraction such as talking on the phone, texting, listening to music or any behaviour which could indicate that you are not paying attention.
• Being encumbered by items such as shopping bags, handbags or back packs.

Criminals generally look out for potential victims who are not paying attention and are not perceived to be aware of their surroundings. Some criminals also take advantage of the “bystander effect” which is a social psychological phenomenon, where in a crowd, everyone assumes that someone else will help you, but in the end no one does.

Take note that many other factors also determine a potential target such as the time of day, whether you are alone and if you are in a vulnerable position (a quiet side street or poorly lit area), and that altering your behaviour may not guarantee you will not become a victim.

The best defence is to always be aware of your surroundings and not to place yourself in potentially compromising situations.