Wolves Among Us: Human Predatory Behavior
Imagine you’re a middle-aged woman, walking down the street at five in the morning. The sun hasn’t quite risen yet and there aren’t many other people out, besides those that are on their way to work. You’re not paying much attention to your surroundings because you’ve walked this route many times before. Then, without warning, you feel a tight grip around your neck, and you’re pulled violently to the ground. Within seconds, the blood flow in your carotid arteries is cut off and you lose consciousness.
This horrendous incident is exactly what happened to a 45-year-old woman in the Bronx, who’s attack was caught on camera and has since gone viral. The video footage shows the woman walking alone, when suddenly, a man comes up from behind and loops a belt around her neck and pulls her to the ground. The video goes on to show the woman’s body go limp and the man dragging her between two vehicles, where he proceeds to rape her. The man has since been caught and the incident is still being investigated. Nevertheless, this type of attack has become a common tactic used by predators today. Just as wolves target easy prey within their ecosystems, the human predator’s strategy involves identifying and targeting vulnerable individuals within the population and attacking when they’re most defenseless.
Wolves are hunters and employ a range of sophisticated tactics to secure their prey. A fundamental aspect to their hunting strategy is the identification and targeting of vulnerable individuals within a prey population. Wolves exhibit keen observational skills and patience, stalking their prey over extended periods of time, before launching their attack. Their tactics typically involve isolating or ambushing individual prey, exploiting weaknesses and vulnerabilities to increase the likelihood of a successful kill.
Human predators use very similar tactics to target individuals within society. Like wolves, human predators often stalk their victims, carefully observing and assessing potential targets before initiating an attack. Although many criminals are opportunists and do not stalk their victims for extended periods of time, some may patiently wait and gather as much information as possible to get the most of what they want and not get caught. In either case, predators tend to exploit vulnerabilities such as physical weakness, emotional distress, and situational unawareness to increase their chances of success.
The woman that was attacked and raped in the Bronx was not situationally aware of the man following her. Likewise, the predator exploited the woman’s physical weakness and used the element of surprise and violence of action to quickly subdue his victim, so she would have limited time and ability to fight back. Unfortunately, this is just one very recent example of the many incidences that happen frequently around the country. Although some may argue that they live in a nice area, these attacks are not exclusive to the inner cities, like the Bronx. In the past couple months, there have been multiple attacks and robberies targeting woman in several cities throughout California.
In March, a woman was attacked and raped by a man in Madera, California, who was sleeping in his car in the woman’s neighborhood for several days leading up to the incident. The woman was getting out of her car outside her house when the man approached her, held a knife to her and put her in the trunk of her own vehicle. He then drove her car to an orchard in Merced, where he took the woman out of her trunk and raped her. The man was a registered sex offender who was arrested for carjacking, kidnapping and rape. Also in March, a 61-year-old woman in Alamo, California was followed home and robbed by multiple men at gunpoint. In May, another woman was followed home from an ATM in Oakland, California and robbed. In April, multiple women were attacked by a man in Sherman Oaks, who was following the women and punching them in the face from behind. In addition, two other women were beaten unconscious and sexually assaulted along the Venice Canals.
In all cases, the predators targeted victims that were more susceptible and less likely to be able to defend themselves. As an executive protection agent and special operations veteran with extensive experience in threat assessment and risk mitigation, here are five ways you can protect yourself against the wolves among us and minimize vulnerabilities.
Maintain Situational Awareness: Always remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings, especially in unfamiliar or potentially dangerous environments. Avoid distractions, such as electronic devices or excessive preoccupation with other tasks, as they can impair your ability to detect potential threats.
Practice Personal Security Measures: Lock doors and windows, vary your routines and do not drive to your home if you notice you’re being followed. Be mindful of your online presence and avoid sharing personal information that could be exploited by malicious actors.
Trust Your Gut: Trust your intuition and gut feelings when assessing potential threats or dangerous situations. If something feels off or makes you uncomfortable, don’t hesitate and take proactive steps to remove yourself from the situation and seek assistance if necessary.
Get Training: Don’t settle for that one-time women’s self-defense class and call it a day. Train regularly in martial arts (I highly recommend Brazilian Jiu-jitsu) and become as proficient as possible with the weapons you carry. Training consistently will develop confidence in your ability to defend yourself and respond effectively to potential threats.
Get Professional Assistance: Defense Strategies Group (DSG) offers a variety of services that can help protect you and your loved ones. We offer courses on situational awareness and counter-surveillance techniques to identify if you’re being followed and what steps to take to keep you and your loved ones safe. In addition, DSG provides threat vulnerability assessments for your home or place of business and in home defense training, specifically tailored to safeguard your residence and protect your loved ones. Furthermore, we do security consulting and executive protection for high-profile clients that need discreet protection and peace of mind. For more information, contact me at Benjie@defensestrategies.us
The parallels between wolf predation tactics and human predatory behavior highlight the importance of recognizing and mitigating vulnerabilities to personal safety. Our mission at Defense Strategies Group is dual-purpose. We aim to provide world-class training by sharing decades of real-world Special Operations experience and offer peace of mind to our clients by securing their families, employees, and interests. Be sure to follow us on social media to get updated information on our upcoming training courses and tips on how to enhance situational awareness and security, and reduce your risk of falling victim to attacks.
Benjie Manibog
DSG cadre and Retired Marine Raider
