Unfortunately, this is not always possible, and sometimes, you may be faced with a situation where walking away is not quite the right thing to do, since to do so, you end up allowing yourself to be intimidated. Only you can be the judge of the situation, and the judge of the best course of action.

The following tips might help.

While out at night. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that would help in an attack situation. Do not walk close to dark shadowed areas, instead, walk in well lit areas. Be aware of areas on your route that could present a danger, as well as safety (such as open shops or lit houses) and try not to follow the same route every time.

Avoid cars that pull up near you. Check if you feel someone is following you. Look behind, or use reflections from windows or car mirrors to confirm your suspicions. When banging on a door, yell "Fire" rather than "Help" or "Rape", since people who don't like to get involved will usually respond if they think their house is on fire.

While home alone. Make sure doors are locked, and fit strong locks if you can. Although locked doors and windows can often be broken into, the extra time needed will give you time to escape or respond. Leave objects around or near your window that would hinder or deter a lurker, such as a heavy flower pot or milk bottles. Lurkers are shy of well lit areas too.

Never let strangers know that you are home alone. Call out to fantasy friends before answering the door, and wave to them when you leave your house for school. If you can't have a pet dog, leave a large roughed up water bowl where it can be seen by others. The name of "Brutus" or "Tyson" written on it would help also.

When in or out, leave various lights and sound sources on. Create the illusion that there is more than one person at home. When coming home, be very wary of entering if the property shows signs of a break in - better to call the police first.

While using a car. Carry your keys with fingers through the key rings. Apart from being ready to unlock your car instead of fumbling at the lock, it provides you with a useful weapon if attacked. Get in the habit of checking the rear seat of the car before you get in - one day there may be someone waiting for you!

Keep doors locked when inside the car - remember extra seconds count. Make sure you park in areas that will still be well lit when you return to your car, and lit in such a way that you can see lurkers hidden inside.

Never get out of your car unless you are absolutely sure it is safe to do so and don't open your window more than an inch. Call the police and wait, if necessary. Never pull up so close to the car in front that you do not have room to drive away.

Body language. Your body language can either help or hinder a situation, so you have to judge circumstances as they merit them. Dress tough since most attackers are cowards and usually only pick on soft targets. By looking tougher than you really are can sometimes help - but avoid looking like a challenge.

When faced with a potential attack situation, overreacting like a nutter, can often unnerve an opponent. Remember, they are probably dressed up and are not as tough as they portray themselves to be.

Don't show real fear since that will encourage the attacker. Feign fear, illness or drunkenness if you think an attack is imminent, plead or beg for mercy if necessary. By throwing your attacker off guard, you increase your chances of a successful counter attack. When you launch your counter attack use as much force as necessary. If in doubt, use more force than necessary, since you may not get a second chance!

Defence. Don't attack bones - go for vulnerable points, bite ears if you can and pinch if necessary, especially if the attacker is larger than you. Attacking the knee joints or poking eyes is useful for stopping the attacker from running after you.

When running away, it may be a good idea to run in a different direction from what you originally intend, in order to lure your attacker to follow in the wrong direction.

Report any threats or attempted attacks to the police. The knowledge that it is on record that they threatened you makes it easier to take action against them should they try again - and that alone often is enough to make them think twice before attacking you or threatening you again.