Lack of skills, easy to bring disaster upon oneself

From being robbed and pickpocketed due to carelessness to some recent cases of discovering hidden cameras in restrooms and public areas, many young people seem startled when they realize that they seem to lack the skills to protect themselves.

Thiếu kỹ năng, dễ tự chuốc họa - Ảnh 1. — Young people participating in Sao Bac Dau General Union (under the Vietnam Youth Union of Ho Chi Minh City) practice first aid skills - Photo: QL

There are situations due to carelessness, but there are also many situations where you really get into trouble and then you realize, "I wish I had more skills."

Although I have read many articles about self-protection skills, I still have certain limitations. When faced with real-life situations, I am very confused, so I have to learn more to equip myself, improve my coping skills, and protect my own safety.

NAVY (23 years old, victim was secretly filmed in the bathroom)

Unsure what to do due to lack of skills

Lan Anh still feels scared when recounting the incident. At the campfire night, a friend wearing a short skirt stood with her friends watching the performance. There were too many people so she didn't notice who was standing below when one of Lan Anh's friends shouted "someone is secretly filming". At that moment, a male friend hurriedly tried to leave.

"Why are you secretly filming me?", Lan Anh asked and the boy stammered, his hand holding the phone shaking. Lan Anh asked to check the phone but the boy did not let her. The friend who was with her quickly grabbed the phone and asked the boy to unlock it. It was true that there was a video secretly filmed up her skirt on the phone. Panicked, Lan Anh immediately deleted it.

Similarly, Hai Quan also said that he was once a victim of being secretly filmed. That weekend, he went to the restroom of a large shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City, suddenly looked up and discovered that someone standing next to him was holding a phone pointing down from above, deliberately filming him. Quan quickly left the restroom and was really confused, not knowing what to do to protect himself at that time, and was always afraid of restrooms in public places from then on.

Thu Vinh remembers clearly that in her first year of university, she often used a crossbody bag. One time, she went to her friend's house to study and drove home at around 8pm. She drove on Ton That Thuyet Street (District 4, Ho Chi Minh City) and then turned into Xom Chieu Street. The street was quite deserted, but suddenly two people ran behind her, approached Vinh's car, and snatched the bag she was carrying on her hip.

"The bag was quite strong so it didn't break, but both me and the bike were dragged a distance. Luckily, people there shouted so the two men sped away. In that fleeting moment, I not only got a scar but was also stunned and haunted forever" - Vinh said.

Lessons to protect yourself

After the attempted robbery, Vinh learned from her experience by putting her handbag in the trunk of her car. On days when her bag was too big, she would put a jacket over it. That experience helped her be more alert to any car that suddenly drove close to her on the road. At the same time, she avoided coming home late and chose to take the busier roads.

Vinh also defends himself every time he goes to crowded places like hospitals, he always holds his bag and does not put anything in his shirt or pants pocket. From his own experience and what happened to his friends, Vinh learned a lesson for himself and realized that self-protection skills are extremely important and that he lacks them.

"But not everyone is careful. There are many people who leave their phones exposed and are not vigilant enough to get scammed into paying for part-time jobs," Vinh said.

For Lan Anh, after that "accident" due to lack of skills but not causing serious consequences, she paid more attention to choosing clothes, especially when wearing skirts. Her family often reminded her to dress modestly in public, and her school also encouraged her to participate in extracurricular programs related to self-protection.

The Navy said that as society develops, risky situations and the possibility of privacy violations become more complex. "Knowing how to protect yourself not only helps ensure your safety but also minimizes risks such as having obscene videos spread, or even bad guys selling videos to make money while the victim is unaware," said Quan.