SECURITY FOR WOMEN – DEVELOP YOUR PREPAREDNESS

You are responsible for your own security; not the police, not the Government, not the military, you are. For this simple fact, you cannot rely on law enforcement and other security forces to provide enough security for you. The police and government will help but to stay safe, you must contribute as much to your own safety and security as possible. Make it easy for the security services by doing your part. This means that you should become your own security officer and be proactive in your security approach, nobody will take this initiative for you. It will ultimately remain your choice whether you become knowledgeable about your environment, the threats you will face and your recommended security precautions. You need to implement your own systems, procedures and countermeasures to reduce your risk profile. This course will help you do this.


SECURITY FOR WOMEN – UNDERSTAND THE THREAT

We all build "Models of Violence", that is, beliefs about the way in which various types of violent attacks occur, whether they are muggings, domestic abuse or sexual assaults. Our models are normally based on media reports from the newspaper and TV, advice we've been given, stories we've been told, our own experiences and that of our friends. We often use these models, to reinforce a view of the world that allows us to feel safe and comfortable e.g. that sexual assaults occur in remote and deserted places and are committed by complete strangers, rather than by people we know and in places where we are meant to feel safe. This course will focus on understanding the sexual predator and the process the offender goes through before an attack.


SECURITY FOR WOMEN – MANAGE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A very important aspect of fighting against domestic violence and abuse is to realize what the signs and symptoms of a violent and abusive relationship are. One must keep in mind that there are not only physical consequences of this violence but also emotional and psychological consequences. There could of course be several signs that suggest that a relationship is violent and abusive. The most prominent being that there is fear from your partner or the other person. The victim may have a feeling that she is walking on eggshells around the perpetrator, with a constant feeling of loneliness, self-loathing, helplessness and anxiety. This course will focus on identifying and managing domestic violence.


TRAVEL SECURITY – HOTEL SECURITY ABROAD

So, you have arrived at your destination; your hotel. I am afraid it is not time to relax quite yet. The hotel is your “home away from home”, and it is therefore necessary to take the security of the hotel as seriously as you would in your own home. With more and more security measures implemented to protect traditional terrorist targets, such as airlines and embassies, hotels have now become more likely targets. This is especially true of luxury hotels belonging to large international chains. Hotels are “good targets” from a terrorist’s perspective as they will provide the potential for mass casualties and world-wide media coverage without the same level of risk involved as targeting an embassy. Now, terrorists are not what you normally have to worry about, but crime is. Any hotel could also be a hangout for criminals, prostitutes and con artists. The hotels will mostly work hard to prevent this, but some may even have staff that cooperates with these criminals. This course will provide you with information on best practices when selecting and staying in a hotel abroad.


TRAVEL SECURITY – SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ABROAD

The desire to kick back and relax when you reach your destination can easily lead to letting your guard down, and a number of criminals rely on this. Every country has its own customs and culture that are important for you to get to know. Likewise, every country has its own specific crimes and hazards that are equally important, if not more so, to understand. The key is to prepare as thoroughly as possible for your journey. Perception matters, and not whether you actually have a lot of money. As a foreigner, you will often be perceived to be wealthy, especially compared to the local income level. This course will present an overview and guide you on how to be mindful and aware of the foreign environment while enjoying your travels.


TRAVEL SECURITY – SURVIVING THE STREETS ABROAD

Street crime is, together with medical problems, perhaps the most common threat to travellers worldwide. Street crime is most of the time not personal; thieves are not there to target you, you might simply represent an easy target. The same principles of security exist while on the street as anywhere else. You must aim to diminish any criminal’s opportunity to commit a crime against you as much as possible. It is therefore essential that you take certain precautions. This course aims to provide you with specific information on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime while staying abroad.

SURVIVING AN ACTIVE SHOOTER

The world is experiencing one of the most intensive periods of active shooter incidents in history. Over the past few years, active shooting incidents have increased dramatically, so much so that most organizations now feel the need to educate their employees on this extremely violent threat. 

Active shooter incidents are a worldwide problem, and all organizations must properly develop programs to prevent and mitigate the risk from such threats. While the Active Shooter is still not an everyday occurrence, it is something that must be taken seriously. The active shooter threat can no longer be ignored. This course will provide you with responses to increase your chance of survival.


HOSTAGE SURVIVAL

First of all, the chances of you being kidnapped or taken hostage are quite small. If it does happen, your chances of survival are very high. The act of kidnapping is a terrifying experience, but you will come to realize that you possess more personal resources than you might think to cope with the situation. It is important to remember that you are of value to those who are holding you only if you are alive, and they want to keep you that way.

Although each hostage case is different, they typically follow the same phases; surveillance, capture, holding, release, and a post release phase. This course will go into detail of your responses to improve your survival chances if taken hostage.


RESIDENTIAL SECURITY

At the most basic level, all people are concerned about their well-being and that of their family. This makes it so important to keep the home safe. Most people know somebody who has been the victim of crime or they have been a victim themselves.

Being aware of the threats and taking steps to protect yourself and your property will make you a lot less likely to become a victim of crime. This 3 x module course will help you to identify potential vulnerabilities, threats and risks, then to propose simple, affordable and achievable countermeasures that the average person can implement to increase their levels of security.

This course is currently being updated and will be available once again early 2019.


INTERVIEW ROOM SECURITY

Aid workers often find themselves in interview settings, often alone with a stranger in an interview room. Most of us would not sit down in a closed room with a stranger socially, but we routinely do so in order to do our jobs.

As you do not know the person you are sitting down with, and because you often have something the other person wants (such as food, permits, status, etc), it is important that you take some security precautions. For example, if you are collecting data on people in a humanitarian context, they may be tired of waiting or afraid that you may remove some of their benefits and become aggressive, violent towards you. Would you know what to do? In particular, the prevention of self-harm should be the major factor in design by reducing potential ligature points and avoiding features that could contribute to self-harm.

The level of security needed will vary based on the risks linked to an interview. This 3 x module course will give you the tools to be able to detect emerging threats and how to successfully de-escalate the situation preventing any physical violence towards you. Also, we will outline best practices when it comes to organizing and securing humanitarian interview rooms with low/ standard security needs.

This course is currently being updated and will once again be available early 2019.