By Dan Reyes

Your intentions? Protecting yourself and your loved ones from crime. Your strategy? Well, you don't carry non lethal self defense products with you, but you do stay away from desolated places (specially during unsafe hours). You imagine that your plan is faultless. Think again.

As the number of persons around you goes up, the less likely it is that any single individual will help you out during any urgent situation, according to irrefutable research results in social psychology. Skeptical? Read on.

An ill-famed instance of civic indifference can be appreciated in the notorious case of Catherine Susan Genovese, otherwise known as Kitty Genovese. According to social psychology archives, Genovese was stabbed to death in the full view of 38 neighbors (some people maintain that the real number was 12, but that doesn't change the fact that there were at least some witnesses around).

All of them failed to help (at least in any significant way), in spite of the fact that the killing took place for at least half an hour. Kitty Genovese was even sexually assaulted prior to dying. She was only 28 years old.

Do not dismiss what happened to her as something of the past. What happened to her can also happen to you or to a loved one as well, if you don't generate some real and substantial measures to protect yourself and your family against any potential tragedy (like having non lethal self defense products, for instance).

Social psychologists clarify that the Kitty Genovese case can be completely grasped by bringing up a phenomenon known as the "bystander effect". According to social researchers John Darley and Bibb Latané, the larger the multitude of bystanders, the weaker the chances that any one of them will help the victim out.

What are the psychological forces behind such a odd phenomenon? In a group situation, people have a tendency to think that it is not solely their responsibility to help the victim. In other words: "Let somebody else assist him/her, I don't want to get implicated". And as a result, a second phenomenon takes place: "diffusion of responsibility". So what happens? Nobody helps, and a disaster takes place.

So think twice the next time your mind tells you that you and your family will be protected as long as there are other people with you. There is not always safety in numbers, regardless of the time of the day. Persons usually tend to avoid getting involved except if there is no other alternative but to help (for instance, if there is no one else around) or in "shared fate" situations, where their own wellbeing is at stake too (and do not rely on getting help in such situations either).

So what can be done to avoid becoming a victim when the Good Samaritan won't help you (or your loved ones)? To always be ready the worst is, paradoxically, an optimistic suggestion after all: by recognizing the potential danger and getting armed, your chances of becoming a victim will be reduced significantly.

Within that context, the most excellent course of action is to carry with you reliable non lethal self defense products at all times (take into account a non lethal weapon such as a a long-range pepper spray, a TASER device, or even some particular types of stun guns such as stun batons, which provide extended reach). That must be your first option, given the fact that you might not always receive the so much needed assistance in time...even if surrounded by witnesses. Keep in mind that even the police might not always be there to help you out. Try to rely on yourself as much as possible, and counsel your family members to do the same.

Even if you are an expert in martial arts, carrying non lethal self defense products is still a very intelligent choice. Trying to avoid close combat in the first place is an extremely desirable goal, specially if you take into account that your opponent might be carrying with him a knife or some other concealed weapon (bear in mind that you might get hurt while performing a martial arts technique in such cases).

In the event you get caught without non lethal self defense products to fight back, and if escaping is not achievable, your next best option would be to defy both the bystander effect and the diffusion of responsibility by pointing directly to an individual person while giving that person a precise command, such as "you in the red hat, dial 911!". That will help you decrease the probability that the responsibility will be diffused in the multitude of bystanders.

However, try to not depend on others, and make sure that your loved ones do exactly the same. Be as self-sufficient as possible. Never leave your non lethal self defense products at your residence. Do not allow some irresponsible assailant bring tragedy into your existence while some strangers just watch.

In conclusion: eliminate wishful thinking. It's always wiser to depend on yourself. Do not wait to experience the bystander effect for yourself. Carry non lethal self defense products with you every time you go out, even if you are skilled at martial arts. That way, you will successfully reduce the chances of cases like Kitty Genovese's being repeated ever again.

The time to be ready to stand up for yourself and your family members is not tomorrow. The time is now.