I am often asked what a potential criminal looks like.  Well the answer often lies in not what they look like rather how they behave.  My personal theory is the media (movies and the like) have wrongly conditioned us to think that all criminals have a certain look.  For example they may look evil, scary or even dress the part.  Understand this is done to tap into our emotions for the sake of making a good movie and it rarely has anything to do with reality.  From my vantage point, let’s not concern ourselves with how they dress, rather how they behave.  If we can identify the behavior of a bad guy, we are on the right path. Remember the key to violence prevention is to use our innate gifts, being observant is one of the gifts.

When it comes to preventing any type of assault (sexual, criminal) you are far better off paying attention to their behavior.  The list can be quite exhaustive, in my violence prevention programs I go a lot more in depth but here are some common elements:

Generally speaking, if the person

• Has an issue with substance abuse
• Expresses anger often- to the point of lacking restraint
• Has committed acts of violence in the past
• Comes from an abusive background
• Shows an unhealthy obsession with violent behavior

Chances are good that something may not be right.  If I can offer some friendly advice, you would be best served avoiding this type of person.  Sadly many people try to “fix them”, or stay with them hoping they will change.  Regrettably, this is not the case.  Only qualified professional have a shot at “fixing them”.  If you are not one of these people, you are best to avoid this individual all together.

If people attempt to break off a relationship and the violent person shows signs of stalking, this article may help.