Lack of skills can easily lead to trouble.

From theft and pickpocketing due to carelessness to recent cases of hidden cameras being discovered in restrooms and public areas, many young people seem to be startled upon reflection, realizing they may lack the skills to protect themselves.

Thiếu kỹ năng, dễ tự chuốc họa - Ảnh 1. — Young people from the Northern Star Youth Union ( thuộc Hội Liên hiệp thanh niên Việt Nam TP.HCM) practice first aid skills - Photo: QL

Some situations arise due to carelessness, but there are also many instances where people genuinely get into trouble and then realize, "If only I had better skills."

Although I've read many articles about self-defense skills, I still have certain limitations. When faced with real-life situations, I feel very confused, so I need to learn more to equip myself and improve my response skills to protect my own safety.

Mr. HAI QUAN (23 years old, a victim who was secretly filmed in the restroom)

Unexpectedly not knowing what to do due to lack of skills.

Lan Anh still felt scared as she recounted the incident. During the campfire night, she and her friend, wearing short skirts, were watching the performance. There were so many people that they didn't notice who was standing below when one of Lan Anh's friends shouted, "Someone's secretly filming!" At that moment, a male friend quickly tried to leave.

"Why are you secretly filming me?", Lan Anh asked, and the young man stammered, his hand trembling as he held the phone. Lan Anh demanded to see the phone, but he wouldn't let her. Her friend quickly snatched the phone and told the young man to unlock it. Sure enough, the phone contained a secretly filmed video of her under her skirt. Panicked, Lan Anh immediately deleted it.

Similarly, Hai Quan recounted his experience as a victim of being secretly filmed. That weekend, he went to the restroom at a large shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City, looked up, and noticed someone standing nearby, holding a phone pointed down at him, deliberately filming him. Quan quickly left the restroom, feeling truly panicked and unsure how to protect himself. He's been apprehensive about using public restrooms ever since.

Thu Vinh vividly remembers using a crossbody bag during her first year of university. One time, she was studying at a friend's house and was driving home around 8 PM. She was driving on Ton That Thuyet Street (District 4, Ho Chi Minh City) and then turned onto Xom Chieu Street. The street was quite deserted, but suddenly two people on a motorbike approached her from behind and snatched the bag she was wearing on her hip.

"The bag was quite sturdy so it didn't break, but both I and my motorbike were dragged a short distance. Luckily, some locals shouted, and the two thieves sped away. It was a fleeting moment; I not only suffered a scar but was also traumatized and haunted by it for a long time," Vinh said.

Lessons on how to protect yourself

After the failed attempt at snatching, Vinh learned her lesson by putting her handbag in the trunk of her motorbike. On days when she was carrying a very large bag, she would drape a jacket over it. That experience helped her be more vigilant about any vehicle that suddenly sped up on the road. She also avoided coming home late and chose to travel on busier routes.

Vinh also takes precautions when going to crowded places like hospitals, always holding his bag and not putting anything in his jacket or pants pockets. From his own experiences and those of his friends, Vinh learned a lesson and realized that self-protection skills are extremely important and something he lacks.

"But not everyone is careful. Many people leave their phones unattended and lack vigilance, so they get scammed out of money for extra work," Vinh said.

For Lan Anh, after that "accident" caused by a lack of skills but without serious consequences, she pays more attention to her clothing choices, especially when wearing dresses. Her family frequently reminds her to dress modestly in public, and the school encourages her to participate in extracurricular programs related to self-protection.

The Navy said that as society develops, risky situations and the potential for privacy violations become increasingly complex. "Knowing how to protect yourself not only ensures your safety but also minimizes risks such as the dissemination of obscene videos , or even the sale of such videos for profit by malicious individuals without the victim's knowledge," the Navy said.