Part 1: Awareness, Movement, and Vulnerability:
What the Research Really Shows About How You Walk
By Larry Betz | Prepared Not Paranoid https://www.preparednotparanoid.com/
I've spent more than 20 years watching people move.
As a trainer specializing in post-rehab and older clients, the first thing I do with anyone new is watch them walk. Before we pick up a single weight, their walk tells me a lot: where they're guarding an old injury, whether they trust their balance, whether they're confident or hesitant, and whether their mind is on what they're doing or somewhere else.
So when I first came across research showing that violent offenders may make judgments about people based on how they walk, it didn't surprise me. People read movement all the time. Most of us just don't realize we're doing it, or that someone else might be doing it to us.
This series looks at what that research actually found, what it didn't find, and what you can do with it. No scare tactics, no "tactical walk," and no blaming anyone for how their body moves.
The Study That Started It All
In 1981, researchers Betty Grayson and Morris Stein ran a study that is still quoted in self-defense classes today.
They filmed ordinary pedestrians walking down a busy New York City sidewalk, people who had no idea they were part of a study. Then they showed the silent clips to men in prison for violent assaults and asked a simple question: who would be easier to attack?
The inmates' choices weren't random. They agreed with each other far more than chance would explain. And the people they picked weren't simply the smallest or the oldest. When the researchers analyzed the footage, the difference came down to how people moved.
Later studies tested the same idea in different ways:
Gunns, Johnston, and Hudson (2002) used "point-light" displays, walking figures reduced to a few dots of light at the joints. Even without seeing faces, bodies, or clothing, people could still form judgments about vulnerability from movement alone.
Wheeler, Book, and Costello (2009) and Book, Costello, and Camilleri (2013) found that people with higher psychopathic traits, including inmates in a maximum-security prison, were more accurate at picking out who had been victimized before, just by watching them walk.
Ritchie, Blais, and Forth (2019) found similar links between "dark" personality traits and victim selection based on gait.
Fulham and colleagues (2020) looked at how hypervigilance after victimization relates to the way people walk.
So the research points in one direction: how you move can shape a stranger's first impression of you, sometimes in seconds.
What They Noticed
The studies didn't find one "victim walk." Observers seemed to react to the overall pattern of how someone moved. The features researchers looked at included:
Stride: shorter or longer than natural
Pace: slow, hesitant, or uncertain
Coordination: whether the arms, legs, shoulders, and torso moved together smoothly
Weight shift: how evenly the body moved from one step to the next
Foot movement: how the feet lifted and landed
Arm swing: natural and relaxed, or stiff and restricted
Overall flow: fluid and purposeful, or constrained and disconnected
People rated as harder to attack tended to move with a natural rhythm, relaxed arm swing, and smooth, purposeful movement. People rated as easier to attack tended to move in ways that looked hesitant, uneven, stiff, or disconnected.
In plain terms: people who looked present and comfortable in their own movement were judged as harder targets.
What the Research Does NOT Say
This is where a lot of self-defense content gets it wrong, so I want to be clear.
The research does not show:
That one specific walk causes someone to be attacked
That every offender looks for the same thing
That changing your stride or arm swing will prevent violence
That someone who looks confident can't be harmed
That people with disabilities, injuries, or older bodies are responsible for anyone else's actions
That a few seconds of video in a study matches every real-world situation
What it does support is narrower but still useful: movement is one of the things people notice when they size someone up. It's one cue among many, not the whole story.
Remember: Responsibility for violence always belongs to the person who chooses to commit it. Never the person who was targeted.
Your Walk Isn't a Character Flaw
As a post-rehab trainer, this part matters a lot to me.
A walk changes from moment to moment. Arthritis, a recent surgery, a bad knee, pregnancy, a neurological condition, a heavy bag, new shoes, ice on the sidewalk, or a long day can all change how someone moves. None of that says anything about a person's courage, intelligence, or ability to protect themselves.
I've trained people in their 70s and 80s, people coming back from joint replacements, and people managing chronic pain. Many of them were among the most aware and capable people I've ever worked with. They just moved differently.
So the lesson here is not "fix your walk." I'll never tell anyone to fake a stride or force a swagger. The lesson is what this movement often reflects underneath: attention, presence, and connection to your surroundings. We'll get to how to build those in Part 3.
So Why Does This Matter?
Because most of what the studies picked up on comes from the same place: whether someone looks mentally present.
Think about how you move when you're lost in your phone, stressed, rushing, or replaying an argument in your head. Your stride shortens. Your arms tighten. Your eyes drop. You drift. Now think about how you move when you know exactly where you're going and you're paying attention. Your head is up, your pace is steady, and your body is relaxed.
You don't need to practice a special walk. You need to stay connected to what's around you. The rest tends to follow.
That's what situational awareness really is. Not fear, not suspicion of everyone, just paying attention. And attention buys you the most valuable thing in any situation: time.
Awareness gives you time. Time gives you options.
Ask Yourself
When I walk through a parking lot or store, where is my attention?
Do I move differently when I'm on my phone?
Would someone watching me think I know where I'm going?
Coming Up
Part 2: Cameras don't just see your face. Some systems can try to recognize you by your walk. We'll look at how gait recognition works, how accurate it really is, and what the "grey man" approach teaches about not standing out.
Part 3: Putting it into practice: attention, transition zones, boundaries, phone distraction, and the SCAN method, plus a simple walking exercise you can try this week.
Go Deeper
Everything in this series builds on my book, Situational Awareness and Safe Family Travel Strategies, which covers how to read your environment, spot early warning signs, and keep your family safe at home and on the road. [Get the book here: LINK]
References
Book, A., Costello, K., & Camilleri, J. A. (2013). Psychopathy and victim selection: The use of gait as a cue to vulnerability. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28(11), 2368-2383. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260512475315
Fulham, L., Book, A. S., Blais, J., Ritchie, M. B., Gauthier, N. Y., & Costello, K. (2020). The effect of hypervigilance on the relationship between sexual victimization and gait. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(19-20). https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517713714
Grayson, B., & Stein, M. I. (1981). Attracting assault: Victims' nonverbal cues. Journal of Communication, 31(1), 68-75. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1981.tb01206.x
Gunns, R. E., Johnston, L., & Hudson, S. M. (2002). Victim selection and kinematics: A point-light investigation of vulnerability to attack. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 26(3), 129-158.
Murzynski, J., & Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and judgments of vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26(18), 1617-1626.
Ritchie, M. B., Blais, J., & Forth, A. E. (2019). "Evil" intentions: Examining the relationship between the Dark Tetrad and victim selection based on nonverbal gait cues. Personality and Individual Differences, 138, 126-132.
Wheeler, S., Book, A., & Costello, K. (2009). Psychopathic traits and perceptions of victim vulnerability. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36(6), 635-648.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It summarizes published research and offers practical awareness guidance. It is not a guarantee of safety and is not a substitute for professional training, legal advice, medical advice, or law enforcement guidance. No behavior or movement style can prevent every crime, and responsibility for violence always belongs to the offender. Prepared Not Paranoid and Larry Betz are not responsible for the content of third-party websites or resources linked here.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Prepared Not Paranoid. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Among Us.
