Life-Ready Society · Teacher and parent pack · Physical dimension

Personal Safety and Self-Defence

Awareness, boundaries, escape skills and knowing how to get help.

9 lessons, about 1.6 hours of reading. Free lessons, videos and full sources: https://lifereadysociety.com/personal-safety/

How to use this pack. Ask your teen or class to read one lesson online (about ten minutes), talk through the key points together, choose one practice task to try this week, then use the quiz to check what stuck. The answer key is on the last page. Free to print for home and classroom use.

The lessons at a glance

1. Situational awareness: head up, eyes open

Most personal safety is not about fighting. It is about noticing things early enough that you never need to. Awareness is a calm habit, not a state of fear.

Key points

Aim for 'yellow': relaxed but aware.
Head up, one earphone at most, valuables out of sight.
Know your exits and stick to busy, well-lit routes.
If your gut says leave, leave. You do not need to justify it.

2. Boundaries, saying no and trusting your instincts

Being able to say no clearly, and to hear no from others, is one of the most protective skills you can have. It keeps you in charge of your own choices.

Key points

A clear no does not need a reason.
Use 'I' statements and the broken record.
Consent can be changed at any time, and it applies to photos and phones too.
Real friends accept your decision.
If a boundary is crossed, tell a trusted adult.

3. De-escalation and the assertive voice

Most confrontations can be calmed down or walked away from. Knowing how to lower the temperature, and when to stop talking and leave, keeps you safe and out of trouble.

Key points

Leaving is winning.
Calm voice, open hands, side-on stance, no touching.
Keep at least an arm's length or more, and keep your exit clear.
If calm fails, use a loud 'Back off!' and move towards people.

4. Self-defence basics: the goal is to escape

Real self-defence is not about winning a fight. It is about creating a gap, making noise and getting to safety. These few simple ideas are widely taught; a qualified class turns them into reliable skills.

Key points

The goal is to escape, not to fight.
Fence plus loud voice: barrier, boundary and attention.
Wrist grab: turn out through the thumb side, then run.
Get trained by a qualified instructor and practise safely.

5. Self-defence and the law

The law in the UAE, like in most countries, allows you to defend yourself, but only within limits. Knowing those limits helps you make the right choice in a frightening moment: protect yourself, get away, report it.

Key points

Escape and calling for help come first.
UAE law allows defence only against an immediate danger, when help cannot come in time and there is no other way.
Force must be necessary and proportionate.
Once you are free, stop, leave and report.

6. Safety when you are out and about

Going out with friends, meeting new people and getting around independently are part of growing up. A little planning makes them safer without making them less fun.

Key points

Tell someone where, who and when.
Arrive together, leave together.
Meet online contacts only in public, in daylight, with an adult in the loop.
Plan your way home before you leave, and message when you arrive.

7. Home and personal space safety

Home should be your safest place. A few habits about doors, keys and what you share online keep it that way, especially when you are home alone.

Key points

Not sure who it is? Do not open the door.
Never say you are home alone.
No keys under the mat, no address on the key tag.
Post holiday photos after you are home, and keep location off.

8. Online safety and digital self-defence

Your accounts hold your messages, photos, money and identity. Protecting them is as important as locking your front door, and knowing what to do if someone tries to blackmail you can make all the difference.

Key points

Three random words, a unique email password and 2-step verification.
Authority, urgency, emotion, scarcity, current events: stop and check.
Private profiles, and never share ID details or intimate images.
Blackmail: do not pay, stop contact, keep evidence, tell an adult, report.
In the UAE: Dubai Police eCrime, Abu Dhabi Aman 8002626, or 999.

9. Emergency numbers and getting help in the UAE

In an emergency, the right number and a clear message can save precious minutes. Learn these now, so you never have to search for them when your hands are shaking.

Key points

999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 fire.
C-LINE: complaint, location, incident, number hurt, extent of injuries.
Do not hang up until the operator says so.
Abuse of women or children: 116111. In immediate danger: 999.
Abroad, 112 often works, but check local numbers before you travel.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

Situational awareness: head up, eyes open
- Next time you enter a mall or cinema, name the two nearest exits to yourself before you sit down or start shopping.
- Walk one regular route this week with no headphones and your phone away, and notice five things you usually miss.
- Save a 'safe person' at the top of your favourites so you can call them in one tap.
Boundaries, saying no and trusting your instincts
- Write down three phrases you could use to say no without explaining, and practise saying them out loud.
- Agree a code word with a parent or carer that means 'call me with a reason to come home'.
- Before posting a group photo this week, ask everyone in it if they are happy for it to go online.
De-escalation and the assertive voice
- Practise the 'calm stance' in a mirror: side-on, open palms at chest height, relaxed face.
- Practise saying 'Back off!' in a loud, deep, firm voice (somewhere it will not alarm anyone). Most people are surprised how hard it is the first time.
- Think of one apology-and-exit line you could use, such as 'Sorry, my mistake, I'm off', and say it until it feels natural.
Self-defence basics: the goal is to escape
- With a parent or friend who agrees, practise the wrist-grab escape slowly five times on each hand, with a 'stop' word agreed first.
- Practise the stance and fence in front of a mirror while saying 'Back off!' firmly.
- Research one qualified self-defence or martial arts class near you and find out whether it offers a teen or beginner course.
Self-defence and the law
- Explain the four conditions of legitimate defence to a family member in your own words.
- Think through one scenario (for example, someone grabs your bag on a quiet street) and decide what 'minimum force then escape' would look like.
- Save 999 and 998 as named contacts on your phone.
Safety when you are out and about
- Set up live location sharing with one parent or trusted adult and test it together.
- Agree a family code word and a check-in routine for nights out.
- Before your next outing, plan and tell someone your route home and the time you expect to arrive.
Home and personal space safety
- Walk through your home with a parent and agree the 'home alone' rules: who you can open the door to and who to call.
- Check the location settings on your three most-used social apps and switch off location tagging.
- Scroll back through your last 20 posts and remove any that show your address, building or daily routine.
Online safety and digital self-defence
- Turn on 2-step verification for your email and your two most-used social or gaming apps today.
- Change any password that is a name, birthday or reused password to three random words, and store it in a password manager.
- Save the eCrime link or the Aman number in your phone, and tell a trusted adult where you saved it.
Emergency numbers and getting help in the UAE
- Save 999, 998, 997, 116111 and your local police confidential line in your phone contacts.
- Practise a C-LINE call out loud with a family member, using your home address and a nearby landmark.
- Turn on Emergency SOS and fill in your medical ID on your phone.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

1. In the colour code, which level is the everyday target when you are out in public?

Yellow: relaxed but aware of who and what is around you
Orange: treating everyone around you as a threat
Red: braced to act against anyone at any time
White: fully relaxed and switched off from your surroundings

2. What do Tasmania Police say about headphones and texting while walking?

They have no effect on safety
They are only a problem in daylight
They can reduce your alertness
They make you look busy, so you are safer

3. A friend keeps pushing you to do something after you have said no. What does Childline advise?

Give in this once to keep the friendship
Stop speaking to all of your friends
Repeat your no; a real friend should accept it
Give a long explanation until they agree

4. What is the 'broken record' technique?

Repeating your point more loudly each time until they give in
Calmly repeating your clear statement until it is accepted
Ignoring the person completely until they walk away
Changing your answer slightly each time to end the argument

5. What does the Crisis Prevention Institute guidance (via Columbia University) say goes a long way towards defusing a situation?

Standing very close to show confidence
Keeping your tone and body language neutral
Pointing out calmly where they are wrong
Matching the other person's volume so they feel heard

6. Roughly how much space does the de-escalation guidance suggest keeping from someone who is escalating?

As close as possible, to show you are not afraid
At least 1.5 to 3 feet (about half a metre to a metre)
At least 10 metres, out of earshot
Close enough to touch, so you can calm them with a hug

7. What is the main goal of self-defence for a teenager?

Chase the attacker to get your things back
Win the fight
Create distance and escape to a safe place
Make sure the attacker is punished

8. In a wrist grab, which part of the grip is weakest?

The palm
The little finger only
The four fingers
The thumb side

9. Under the UAE Crimes and Penalties Law, which of these is a condition for legitimate defence?

The defence is necessary and proportionate to the attack
You have time to call the police but decide not to bother
You want to teach the attacker a lesson for next time
You were insulted earlier that day and want to respond

10. Someone grabs you, you break free, and they start to run away. What does the law expect?

Follow them home to find out where they live
Let them go, get to safety and report it
Chase them and hit them so they do not return
Post their photo online to warn others

11. Which is the best thing to do before a night out?

Tell someone where you are going, who with and when you will be home
Leave planning your route home until the end of the night
Turn off your phone to save battery for the journey home
Keep your plans to yourself so nobody can follow you

12. You are meeting someone you met online. Which choice is safest?

A secret place, so nobody can spoil the meeting
A busy public place in daylight, with an adult told and location shared
A quiet car park late in the evening, so nobody interrupts
Their home, so you can talk somewhere quiet and private

13. Someone you do not recognise knocks and says they are from the electricity company. What should you do?

Let them in, since they sound official and know your name
Call the phone number they give you to check who they are
Open the door fully so that you can check their ID card
Keep the door closed and call the company on its official number

14. Where should you keep a spare house key?

Under the doormat, where only your family will look
In a plant pot by the door, so it is always handy
On a key tag with your address, in case it is lost
With a trusted neighbour or relative, not outside

15. What does the NCSC recommend for creating a strong password?

Three random words
A single short word
Your pet's name plus your birth year
The same password everywhere so you remember it

16. A message says your account will be deleted 'within 24 hours' unless you click a link. What sign of a scam is this?

Kindness
Urgency
Privacy
Accuracy

17. What is the UAE ambulance number?

18. Which number do you call for a fire in the UAE?

998
995
112 only
997

Answer key

A: Police1: in condition yellow you remain relaxed but are aware of who and what is around you.
C: Tasmania Police: wearing headphones, or texting or talking on your mobile, can reduce your alertness.
C: Childline: if someone is your friend, they should accept your decision, and you don't need to explain yourself.
B: Edith Cowan University tip sheet: once you have made an assertive statement, repeat it until it is accepted.
B: Columbia University Irving Medical Center: keeping tone and body language neutral goes a long way towards defusing a situation.
B: Columbia University Irving Medical Center: stand at least 1.5 to 3 feet away from a person who is escalating.
C: Avon and Somerset Police: if attacked, shout for help loudly and try to reach a safe place to call the police.
D: FightingArts.com: the thumb is the weak link in most wrist grabs.
A: UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, Article 58 (unofficial English text): the defence must be necessary to repel the attack and proportionate to it.
B: Global Law Experts: self-defence exists to repel a present danger, not to settle a score; it does not cover retaliation after the danger has passed.
A: West Sussex County Council: let someone know where you are and what time you plan to be home.
B: Victoria Police: choose a location with lots of people around, meet during daylight hours and share your location with friends.
D: Avon and Somerset Police: check the caller's identity by calling the company they claim to be from, and do not use any number the caller provides.
D: Royal Oman Police (via Oman Observer): doormats, rugs and plant pots are the first places burglars check.
A: NCSC: use three random words to create a password that's difficult to crack.
B: NCSC: short deadlines such as 'within 24 hours' are a classic sign of a scam message.
A: UAE Government portal: 998 is the ambulance number.
D: UAE Government portal: 997 is the Fire Department (Civil Defence).

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/personal-safety/