How to Look Scary in a Rough Neighbourhood

Co-authored by Dany Zelig

Last Updated: September 12, 2019 References

Lots of people have to live in neighborhoods that are considered rough or dangerous. If you find yourself in this position, it can be helpful to try to appear a little scary and tougher to keep people from bothering you. You don’t want to go out of your way to make a scene or draw negative attention to yourself, but you can work to have a confident appearance that keeps you from looking like an easy target. You can look scary in a rough neighborhood by wearing old clothes, keeping good posture with your head up, walking with a confident stride, being alert to your surroundings, and being a little unpredictable.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Altering Your Appearance

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Wear clothes to fit in. If you are in a rough neighborhood, most people there are probably not wearing expensive suits, lots of bright jewelry, and shiny shoes. You need to wear clothes that make you fit in, not stand out in a way that makes you a target. Choose simple clothes such as jeans, sweat pants, plain t-shirts, sweatshirts, and coats that don’t appear new. Consider wearing clothes that are kind of beat up, maybe even dirty.^{[1]
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- If you are coming or going from work or somewhere that you need to wear nice clothes, consider wearing the old clothes while you are in the rough neighborhood and changing into your nice clothes when you get to your destination.
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Wear dark makeup. This will primarily apply to women, but is not out of the question for men. If you are someone who tends to look cheery, and especially if you usually wear makeup that gives you a pleasant appearance, this can be to your disadvantage. Wearing dark lipstick, eye shadow, and avoiding any bright colored makeup can give you a tougher appearance which can discourage people from messing with you.

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Keep your head up. When you are walking around in a rough neighborhood, it is good to keep your head up, for a couple of reasons. For one, having your head down projects weakness and tends to make you look more like a target. It gives the appearance of fear and trying not to be noticed. Secondly, you want to be able to see around yourself clearly to keep alert of your surroundings. Having your head down restricts how much you can see and keeps you from be aware.^{[2]
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EXPERT TIP

Dany Zelig
Self Defense Trainer
Dany Zelig is the Founder and Owner of Tactica and the Tactica Krav Maga Institute headquartered in San Francisco, California. He is a 2nd generation Israeli Krav Maga instructor of Imi Lichtenfeld, certified directly by Imi’s most senior disciple and Head of the Rank Committee. He received his Military Krav Maga Instructor certification from the Wingate Institute in Israel in 1987.

Dany Zelig
Self Defense Trainer

Don't let yourself look like easy prey. In nature, predators naturally want to attack the easiest prey they can, and most predators won't attack other predators. Criminals pursue people that look unready to fight back, and they usually avoid people who look confident and like they won't go easily. There's a good chance the criminal will target someone else.
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Maintain good body posture. Besides keeping your head up, you want to walk with your whole body up straight. People who walk with a slouch automatically give the appearance of weakness. People who have good posture appear to be more confident. Keep your back straight and your shoulders pulled slightly back.^{[3]
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- This type of posture will show that you are not afraid to be seen, while slouching will make people think you are trying to hide.
- Good posture projects strength and is more likely to keep people from bothering you.
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Keep your phone put away. This has two functions: minimizing distraction and not openly revealing valuables. Someone who is talking on their phone is most likely not paying very close attention to their surroundings, so it is just another weakness. Plus, talking on a phone shows people that you have at least one valuable on you, and gives them the idea that you might have more.^{[4]
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- If you are carrying a bag of some kind, this might be a good place to store your phone. If you keep it in a pocket, try to have a loose pocket that will not highlight the outline of your phone.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Managing Your Behavior

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Walk with a measured pace. The speed you walk at can have a significant impact on how you look to the people around you. If you are walking too quickly, you will appear to be uneasy and will be more noticeable as a potential target. You want to walk at a speed that shows you know where you are and where you are going. Take even, confident strides. If you seem to be walking too slowly, it may appear that you feel out of place and this will be noticed. ^{[5]
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- Walking with a purpose will often deter people from bothering you because it shows you know what you are doing.
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Watch your surroundings at all times. This is similar to keeping your head up, but carries the behavior a bit farther. When trying to look scary, or tough, it is important to continually look around you in all directions. If you keep your head straight forward and concentrate on one thing in the distance, you’ll seem like you are scared of what is around you. Make a point of looking at specific things off to your right and left, lingering your gaze for long enough to take in the details, but not so long that you are staring.^{[6]
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- The main point of this behavior is to show anyone who may be watching you that you are fully aware of your surroundings and are not zoned out. If you look like you are spaced out, you’ll be more likely to look like an easy target.
- You want to make sure to control the speed you are looking around. Twitching your head quickly in every direction will make you look paranoid rather than in control.
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Be a little unpredictable. This is the type of behavior that takes a little bit of extra finesse, but it can be a useful tactic. Think of the person that you see standing on the street corner yelling at no one in particular. This can actually be a useful way to seem a little bit off and keep people from bothering you. Yell “no” loudly every so often, or turn to your side and yell at an object like a tree or a bench.^{[7]
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- If you seem a little unstable, you have a better chance of being left alone. Be creative with the behavior that you exhibit and what you say, but make sure it is not directed at anyone.
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Stay sober. It’s not an uncommon practice in many cities for people to go to bars, drink until they can barely stand and then wander home. If you have ever been around someone who is so drunk they are stumbling, this is far from intimidating behavior. If anything, this person appears like someone you could easily take advantage of. Staying sober will help you stay alert, which is much scarier than stumbling around confused.^{[8]
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Warnings

If you know you are in a somewhat unsafe place, don’t go on the offensive by staring people down or acting aggressively. You still want to remain inconspicuous, not deliberately attract attention to yourself.

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