Being confronted with a dangerous situation is not at all comforting, and we hope in our lives we will never have to experience one.  And if we do, we hope we have the necessary tools and skills to deal with that confrontation.  The threats that we can face when confronted by danger can be categorized in three different levels: low, medium, and high.
Low level threats in my view are very small in regards to threat on our life.  This threat would involve verbal insults, pushing, and intimidation.  It also can include someone grabbing your wrist, and trying to take you against your will.  This level would be appropriate if a man grabs a woman’s wrist to get what he wants from her.
A low level threat does not institute body injury or intent to take a life.  It is not meant to.  The intensity of this threat can be deescalated by a few strategies.  A man is verbally assaulting another man to pick a fight, or pushes him against a wall.  His real goal is to intimidate or coax the other to make the first swing.  If you play your cards right, this is the perfect opportunity to de-escalate the fight.
Do not lash back with further insults or pushing back.  Instead, walk away, or stand firm.  Do not retaliate in anyway.  If things get ugly, the cops will find you just as guilty as the perpetrator.  If you happen to throw the first punch, it does not matter if you started the fight or not.  It will not matter when standing in court.
Low level threats usually do not consist of threats to live or bodily injury.  But they are very serious because they can quickly escalate to a medium level threat in an instant.  In the next article, we will focus on medium threat levels and what to expect when we are in that situation.