| The central character in many fictional stories is an | | | | the burglar away without having to confront him |
| average man turned hero. On TV, in films, and in | | | | yourself. While television heroes never seem to face |
| books, you'll see people "just like you" saving the day | | | | any consequences of chasing after the bad guy, you |
| by surviving extreme situations, rescuing helpless | | | | might. |
| children, or standing up to attackers or bullies. As a | | | | If you do hear a strange noise in the home, your |
| nation, we value self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and | | | | first instinct will probably be to investigate, but don't |
| this is reflected in the heroes portrayed in the media. | | | | feel too pressured to do so. Instead, retreat to a |
| Nevertheless, there are some areas of real life where | | | | safe place. If you can get out of the house, leave |
| it won't pay to be the hero. In fact, trying to be a | | | | and call the police. If you can't, head in the opposite |
| hero in these situations can be quite dangerous; it | | | | direction as the noises, and call the police. You don't |
| may even get you killed. When it comes to defending | | | | want to surprise and confront a burglar, who may be |
| yourself, it is critical to know when to walk away, | | | | armed and whose reactions are unpredictable. |
| when to fight back, and when to wait for help. | | | | If you are in a situation in which you have no choice |
| As a homeowner, we all want to believe that we can | | | | but to defend yourself, such as coming eye to eye |
| remain in complete control over what goes on in our | | | | with an attacker, and you feel you are in imminent |
| homes, especially when it comes to safety and | | | | danger, never confront the burglar without something |
| security. Unfortunately, we must accept that there | | | | to fight back with. Ideally, this will be a canister of |
| are some things that are beyond our control. There is | | | | pepper spray, a stun gun, a TASER device, or some |
| absolutely no surefire way to ensure that burglars will | | | | other device designed explicitly for self defense. If no |
| stay out of your house. Still, the ideal is to avoid | | | | such products are nearby, grab anything you can see |
| emergency situations whenever possible. This means | | | | to protect yourself. |
| taking the necessary precautions to protect you, | | | | If you must confront an attacker, be as cautious as |
| your family, and your belongings from harm. Take | | | | possible. Sometimes, the smartest move is realizing |
| simple steps like improving outdoor lighting and | | | | that you cannot handle the situation alone. Although |
| installing a dummy camera to ward off would-be | | | | stories you see on TV and in the movies paint a |
| burglars. | | | | picture of regular people turned into heroes, this is |
| Consider installing other devices, such as door and | | | | not always realistic. Sometimes, protecting yourself |
| window alarms, to scare away any burglar who does | | | | and your family means not trying to be the hero, but |
| try to enter your home. It's always better to scare | | | | calling the police for help. |