Do You Walk Like a Victim?
Does the way that you walk communicate to a criminal that you might be an easy victim? If so, can you change the way that you carry yourself in public to reduce your chances of becoming a victim?
In 1984 two researchers, Betty Grayson and Morris I. Stein, conducted a study to determine the selection criteria applied by predators when selecting their victims. They videotaped several pedestrians on a busy New York City sidewalk without their knowledge.
They later showed the tape to convicts who were incarcerated for violent offenses (rape, murder, robbery, etc.) They instructed the convicts to identify people on the tape who would make easy or desirable victims. The results were interesting.
Within a very few seconds the participants made their selections. What baffled researchers was the consistency of the people that were selected as victims. The criteria were not readily apparent. Some small, slightly built women were passed over. Some large men were selected. The selection was not dependent on race, age, size or gender.
Even the convicts didn't know exactly why they selected as they did. Some people just looked like easy targets. It appears that much of the predator/prey selection process is unconscious from the perspective of both predator and the potential victim.
The report can be found at https://www.scribd.com/doc/35330362/Attracting-Assault-Victims-Nonverbal-Cues-Grayson-Stein
The Report describes the some of the components of the potential victims walk. These are:
Stride: The typical victim stride was described as not normal. They could be limping.
Rate: The victims walked at a different rate than the people around them. Typically, the victims walk slower than the flow of pedestrian traffic.
Fluidity: Researchers noted awkwardness in a victim's body movement. Jerkiness, raising and lowering one's center of gravity or wavering from side to side as they moved became apparent in the victims analyzed.
Wholeness: Victims lacked "wholeness" in their body movement. They swung their arms as if they were detached and independent from the rest of their body. Non-victims moved their body from their "center" as a coordinated whole implying strength, balance and confidence.
Posture and Gaze: How the victim held himself and way the person held their head. Did the victim pay attention to his surroundings or were they busy texting or talking on their cell phone. Do they avoid eye contact?
