Being the victim of a crime is one of those aspects in life that we tend not to think about... unless it happens to us personally. Have you ever been a victim of crime? If you have, it probably irreversibly changed your life. If you haven't been a crime victim, consider the facts that follow.
Let's face it, from birth, life is a crap shoot when it comes to being a crime victim. You roll the dice and take your chances. Day in and day out, you hear about assaults, hold-ups, home invasions, burglaries, car jackings, rape and murder. You might think, "It'll will never happen to me!"
Have you ever wondered what the odds are that you might be a crime victim, or become one again? The statistics are startling. Of course, a lot depends on who you are, where you live, where you work, your daily routine - and how lucky you are. Lifestyle has a lot to do with it but anyone, anywhere, at any time can be innocently swept up and involved in a crime.
*Consider these odds:
1 of every 39 Americans will be the victim of a violent crime THIS YEAR
1 of every 6 women will be raped in their life time (80% are unreported)
35% of adults will be a victim of a violent crime sometime in their life
there is a 100% chance that you will experience a theft in your lifetime and an 87% chance that you will experience theft 3+ times
3 of every 4 households are burglarized every 20 years
Sobering isn't it?
Law enforcement touts that crime rates have come down from their peak in the 1980's...and that's true. The crime rate has fallen 1-2%. But what they don't tell you is that the NUMBER of crimes continues to rise proportionately to our population growth. The US population in 1980 was 227 million. Today our population is 307 million, which represents a 40% increase in population AND the NUMBER of crimes since 1980. Simply put, more people - more crime.
"What can YOU do to keep from being a crime statistic?" REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM! Be Informed! Be Prepared! Be Armed!
*Source: FBI Crime Statistics
This article is presented by Stu Ross, owner of All-Out Security Solutions. AOSS publishes an e-newsletter containing tips and insights on crime deterrence, personal safety, self-defense and victim avoidance. Their e-newsletter also frequently features special offers and unadvertised discounts for selected non-lethal self-defense products. To receive their complimentary AOSS e-newsletter, go to AOSS E-Newsletter
