“An overwhelming majority of violence comes with instructions on how to avoid it.”

Here is yet another excellent article from Marc MacYoung of No Nonsense Self-Defense:

Five Stages of Violent Crime

Here’s a summary:

The Five Stages of Violent Crime

1. Intent – A person is mentally prepared to commit a violent crime.
2. Interview – The criminal decides if the target is safe to attack.
3. Positioning – The criminal puts himself in a place where he can successfully attack you.
4. Attack – The criminal commits to using force or the threat of force.
5. Reaction – How the criminal feels about what he has done, i.e., how the criminal might further escalate the attack if his initial goals (e.g. robbery, empowerment) are or are not met.

A related concept:

The AOI Triangle

• Ability – Does the person have the ability to attack you?
• Opportunity – Does this person have the opportunity to attack you?
• Intent – Is he in a mental place where using violence to get what he wants makes sense to him?

“The fastest way to figure out if you are in potential danger is to look for these three elements.”

Also read the counter to the Five Stages, the Pyramid of Personal Safety.

Marc and Dianna MacYoung seem much more rooted in reality than most every other self-proclaimed expert on violence. They are not alarmist reactionaries intent on making you feel like everyone in the world has the potential to rob and murder you. What I really like in particular about their writing is that any discussion of self-defense always returns to use of force considerations and the legal and psychological repercussions of resorting to violence.