Stranger Danger: When Not to Mind Your Manners; Advice for Vulnerable Victims.

• Author: Patrick, Wendy L.

Editor's note: Portions of this text are from my Psychology Today column "Most Strangers Are Safe, Learn How to Spot Those Who Are Not," and other portions were published in my column in Law Enforcement Quarterly.

WHEN WE THINK of a "vulnerable" victim we envision a woman walking to her car in a dark parking lot, with earphones on, hair in a ponytail, and a strappy purse dangling within easy reach. In reality, when we are in public, everyone is vulnerable to some extent, in one way or another.

As we seek to educate the public and our communities about safety strategies, we acknowledge that some potential victims are more vulnerable than others, and thus easy prey for various types of predators--from sex offenders, to thieves, and everything in between.

Part of our vulnerability stems from positive expectations and social rules of engagement. Here are some examples, ranging from the down and out, to the well to do.

HOMELESS SHOULD NOT MEAN HELPLESS

One of the most vulnerable populations is the homeless. Exposed to the physical elements as well as the criminal element, people living on the streets are easy prey for violent or manipulative strangers.

Some homeless subpopulations are at increased risk, which fluctuates with age, time on the street, and gender--with women more likely to suffer both physical and sexual assault. It may also fluctuate based on time of day or even time of year--as colder or more extreme climates make homeless individuals more vulnerable to offers of assistance which disguise malevolence as benevolence. A 30-degree wind chill will render many more victims likely to accept an offer of a ride in a warm car from a sexual predator, disguised as a humanitarian.

Yet everyone is vulnerable in public to some extent, even those with a million dollar roof over their head. This is because we are socialized to be nice to strangers, and mind our manners. Yet there are scenarios when individuals should not abide by that rule.

STRANGER DANGER: WHEN NOT TO MIND YOUR MANNERS

I tackled this topic in one of my Psychology Today columns, which began with the counterintuitive sounding maxim: "most strangers are safe." Statistically speaking, this is true. Yet it is precisely because most people are harmless, that we give the benefit of the doubt to those who are not.

The exceptions to the harmless stranger rule keep those of us in the law enforcement community employed for life. Because stranger danger is statistically low, but...