Safety Tips for Women at Home

Women should learn practical safety tips to avoid feeling vulnerable while at home, particularly if they live by themselves or are single parents. A woman who is healthy and physically fit is still no match for the upper body strength of male intruders. However, burglars look for homes that are empty to avoid victims calling the police for help. If the victim is at home during a burglary, it increases the risk of bodily harm or death, so it causes more trouble than it's worth for a burglar who is only interested in stealing valuables. This mindset can work to your advantage.

Tips for Home Interior

• Use automatic timers for radios and lighting inside your home. Most burglaries occur while no one is at home, so it is important that your home looks occupied at all times, particularly when you are out of town. Forward your phones to a cell phone or other number where you can be reached if you are not at home. Burglars often call the houses of victims to see if they are at home. It is also a wise idea to turn the volume of the ringer down on your phone and answering machines so that it cannot be heard from outside the home. Install a system that will open and close your drapes or blinds at set times throughout the day.

  Lock your doors whenever you leave your home and at night when you are inside. If your neighborhood is not in a safe location, keep them locked at all times.

  When you are at home, identify any person who is knocking at your door by installing peepholes. You can see him, but he cannot see you. Install an alarm system with flashing lights and loud alarms. This will scare the intruder away and alert your neighbors to call you to inquire if you are all right. Pick a code word that you will use to alert your neighbor that you are in danger if, for instance, an intruder has you at gunpoint and is listening to your conversation.

Tips for Home Exterior

• Establish the habit of always parking in your garage with the garage door closed. This will prevent would-be burglars from scoping out your home and documenting your daily activities. The burglar has no way of knowing if your home is occupied if the garage door is always shut, and he will look for an easier target. Use common sense tactics to avoid being surprised by a burglar. Never leave notes taped to your front door for friends; this type of note will alert the burglar about where you are and what time you will be returning.

  Talk with a trusted neighbor and inform her when you will be out of town for a few days. Have her collect your mail, newspapers, return your trash barrels to the back yard and perform duties that will prevent intruders from knowing you are away from home. Likewise, if you are going on an extended trip, alert the police to keep watch on your home, and cancel newspapers and your mail for the time being.

  Trim tall bushes or shrubs near windows or doorways. Possible intruders can hide in them while trying to enter your home. Utilize bushes with thorns or prickly leaves to prevent intruders from seeking refuge in them.

  Install motion detector lights on your home. This will alert your neighbors to danger and scare burglars away.

Apartment Building Safety Tips

• Exit any elevator in your apartment building immediately if a suspicious looking person enters. Stand near the control panel while in the elavator so you can push all the buttons on the elevator if you feel threatened or are attacked by an individual. The door will open on all floors, giving you a chance to escape or allowing other people to see that you need emergency assistance.

  Have your keys ready so you can enter your apartment quickly and don't have to stand at the door, searching in your purse.