Pre-Incident Indicators - Warning Signs For Violence and Abuse

One of our pillars of protection at my firm is based on the work of Gavin de Becker. The ability to conduct proper threat assessments is key in protecting clients, as well as advising individuals on how to improve personal security and safety.

After training with Mr. de Becker and his team, we immediately integrated these techniques into our self defense programs, bullying prevention, stranger safety abduction prevention, as well as into our law enforcement and military training. It is a fundamental part of our "advance" for close protection details and a key aspect of our bodyguard training programs.

Training with Gavin and his team changed my teaching and our approach to protection forever. Gavin de Beckers training influence is found in virtually every aspect and arena of our training programs today. There are few people who have had greater influence on my teaching and we are proud to be sharing strategies that save lives and prevent abuse.

In this blog, I will share with you lesson of PINS or Pre-Incident Indicators. You can read more about it in his books, starting with "The Gift of Fear".

Learning PINS and survival signals can save your life or help you save someone else.

PINS are warning signs, precursors or red flags to situations that could become violent or a setting for abuse. Learning to recognize these signs can go a long way in improving one's personal security and safety or that of those you protect.

provides strategies to help readers avoid abuse and violence by teaching them various warning signs and precursors to violence.

Do You Recognize Any of These Warning Signs?

PINS (Pre-Incident Indicators)*

• Forced Teaming. This is when a person tries to pretend that he has something in common with a person and that they are in the same predicament when that isn't really true.
• Charm and Niceness. This is being polite and friendly to a person in order to manipulate him or her.
• Too many details. If a person is lying they will add excessive details to make themselves sound more credible.
• Typecasting. An insult to get a person who would otherwise ignore one to talk to one.
• Loan Sharking. Giving unsolicited help and expecting favors in return.
• The Unsolicited Promise. A promise to do (or not do) something when no such promise is asked for; this usually means that such a promise will be broken. For example: an unsolicited, "I promise I'll leave you alone after this," usually means you will not be left alone. Similarly, an unsolicited "I promise I won't hurt you" usually means the person intends to hurt you.
• Discounting the Word "No". Refusing to accept rejection. *Source: The Gift of Fear