Building Blocks of Personal Security: Situational Awareness

Editor's Note: Although the world can be a dangerous place, one does not have to passively wait for acts of violence to occur. This is part two of a four-part series that provides the tools to help anticipate, avoid and respond to danger. Part 1 explores the mindset needed to respond to a dangerous situation, Part 3 covers establishing an environmental baseline and Part 4 will cover reacting to danger.

It is important to note that situational awareness — being aware of one's surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations — is more of a state of mind than a hard skill. Because of this, practicing situational awareness is not something that can be done only by highly trained government agents or specialized corporate security teams. Indeed, it can be exercised by anyone with the will and discipline to do so. Situational awareness is useful for recognizing and avoiding terrorist threats, distinguishing criminal behavior and identifying other emerging dangerous situations.