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Stay safe during a home invasion with these helpful tips
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Waking up to the sound of someone breaking into your home is a total nightmare, but there are several things you can do to prepare yourself in advance and increase your safety during an invasion. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about dealing with an intruder in your home, including legal information on whether you can use deadly force. From finding the right hiding spot to fighting an intruder head on, keep reading for the best safety and self-defense strategies!
Things You Should Know
- Get out of your home safely using a back door, window, or a fire escape ladder. If that’s not possible, hide in a safe room and lock the door.
- Turn out the lights, be as quiet as possible, and call emergency services. Do not leave your room until the police arrive.
- If you come face-to-face with an intruder, stay calm and cooperate with them. It's legal to shoot an intruder in most states, but use deadly force with extreme caution.
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
Hiding From an Intruder
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Verify that the intruder is in your home. Be quick about checking and listen carefully. Do you hear noises that are out of the ordinary, like creaking stairs, opening drawers, or whispering? Is there a strange vehicle parked in your driveway? Once you confirm that someone is inside, stay calm so you can decide on the next steps.
- Do not open your door or confront the intruder because they could react violently. [1] X Research source
- Text your roommates or family members to see if they might be making the noises.
- If possible, check your home security cameras on your phone to see if anyone’s inside.
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See if you can get out of your home safely. If the intruder is still outside or far away from you, try to escape through a back door, window, or the fire escape ladder. That way, you’ll put greater distance between you and the intruder, reducing the chances of an altercation or serious danger.
- Once you’re out of your home, hide in your car and call the police.
- If you’re living with other people, text them that there’s an intruder. Tell them to either lock their door, sneak outside, or get to a designated safe room in your home.
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Hide in your safe room and lock the door. If you’re not able to escape, the best thing to do is to get to a safe place inside your home. Designate a safe room that you can hide in during an emergency, and make sure the room has a solid door that locks from the inside. If you like, barricade the door with heavy objects or furniture so the intruder cannot enter.
- Install a deadbolt lock on your bedroom door or safe room for extra protection.
- If you can’t make it to your designated safe room, stay put, lock the door, and remain silent.
- Stock your safe room in advance with food, water, first aid supplies, and a weapon (a bat, hammer, etc.). Make sure you have a charged cell phone that you can use to call the police.
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Turn out the lights and stay silent. To avoid alerting the intruder of your presence, put your phone on silent mode, and ensure all the lights in your room are turned off. Avoid fidgeting, moving around the room, or opening interior doors.
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Call emergency services and follow their instructions. Once you’re in a safe place with the lights turned off, call 911 or emergency services for help. Provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible, and keep the line open so they can listen in, provide you with updates on the progress of the police, and help you stay calm. [2] X Research source
- Prepare to answer questions about the nature of your emergency, your address, your name and phone number, who else is in the home with you, where you and other people are located in the home, and the description of the intruder.
- For example, you might say, “My name is Sally Smith, and I live at 123 River Road. I hear an intruder in my home. I'm hiding in the upstairs bathroom, but I think they’re still downstairs in the living room.”
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Avoid talking to the intruder, unless they try to break into your room. Threatening the intruder or telling them that you’ve called the police can give away your hiding spot, so remain as quiet as possible until police arrive. If the intruder tries to break into the room, however, go ahead and yell, “We've called the police, and they're on their way!” [3] X Research source
- Use the plural “we” when you call out, even if you're alone. If the intruder thinks that there are more than one of you, they may panic and leave.
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Choose your position in your safe room strategically. If the intruder tries to break into the room where you are hiding, stand in a corner that is on the opposite side of the door, and have your family members stand behind you. That way, you’ll be able to see the intruder before they see you, and see if you need to fight them (or shoot, if you’re armed with a gun).
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Remain in your safe room until the police arrive. Even if you’re sure that the intruder is gone, stay put until the police arrive to secure your home. Continue to stay on the line with the emergency services dispatcher until they inform you that the police have arrived and the police officially announce themselves outside your door.
- Make sure that the police check your entire house, especially if the intruder is still on the loose. Ask them to thoroughly check your property and any areas that seem vulnerable.
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Consider staying with a friend or neighbor for the rest of the evening. Even if the police assure you that your house is safe, it’s completely normal to feel stressed, paranoid, or traumatized after a burglary. Call a trusted friend, family member, or neighbor to see if you can stay with them until the morning.
- It's also a good idea to try to determine how the intruder got into your home: Was a lock picked or a window broken? You may need to have repairs completed and/or locks changed before you'll feel safe sleeping in your home again.
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Section 5 of 5:
How to Defend Yourself Using Deadly Force
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Identify that there is an intruder before shooting. In order to avoid tragic accidents, it's important that you try to keep a cool head when you think there’s an intruder in your home. Identify the person before shooting blindly, and account for your spouse, partner, and/or other family members.
- Take a quick moment before shooting if someone breaks into your room. It could be an intruder, in which case it's important that you protect yourself, but you don't want to accidentally shoot a police officer.
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Shoot if you believe you or a family member are in danger. Even though you’re likely to be protected by the law for shooting an intruder, most states require reasonable belief that you’re in danger, as well as proportionate use of force. [10] X Research source
- This means that if the intruder doesn’t have a gun, you could face charges for shooting them.
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Secure your gun in a safe place, and use a gun lock. If you feel more secure with guns in your home, make sure that they are securely stored and locked away in a gun safe —especially if you have children or teenagers. To be safe , consider purchasing a gun lock that will make your gun inoperable when not in use. [11] X Research source
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Store your guns and ammunition separately. It's generally recommended that you keep the guns in your home unloaded and that you store your guns and ammunition separately. Make sure you’re able to access both quickly in an emergency, and store them in your safe room (and hide the keys) so your children cannot access them. [12] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I prepare for an intruder breaking into my home?Asher Smiley is the Owner and Lead Instructor at Krav Maga Revolution in Petaluma, California. Asher has earned a Tier 1 Instructor Certification in the American Krav Maga system. In 2017, he trained with the International Kapap Federation Combat Krav Maga International, completing their 7 day tactical seminar and the 8 day CKMI instructor course.Come up with a plan and always know the best course of action. Look at your house and living arrangements and decide on the best routes out of your house and the best places to hide. If you live with someone else like a partner or children, make sure you talk to everyone about what the game plan is so that they know what to do and don't go into shock if something happens.
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Tips
- When you leave your house, leave the front porch light on to make it look like you’re inside.Thanks
- Install indoor and outdoor cameras around your home, keep home security signs displayed, and put a beware of dog sign near your front door to ward off intruders.Thanks
- Don't hide under your bed because it is hard to get out of. Try to hide in a room with a window so you have an alternate exit if the intruder blocks the door or attempts to enter.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If an intruder tries to break in while you're home at night, the best option is to move to an area where you can see the intruder but they cannot see you. Think about getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom—it's hard to walk around without bumping into things, so you will have the upper hand in your home compared to someone who has never been there before.
- If you need to break a window to escape, take off your shirt and wrap it around your fist so your hands don’t bleed. Then, punch as hard as you can! Don’t worry about the damages—what’s important at that moment is getting to safety.
- Do not take lethal shots unless you absolutely have to. Try incapacitating your attacker first. If you have a gun, aim for the knee so the intruder can't move towards you. That way, you can protect yourself and keep your enemy at bay.
- Always have some kind of weapon with you. I use a broken selfie stick because it's better to be armed with something instead of nothing.
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Warnings
- Even if you suspect that the intruder is gone, wait in your safe room until the police arrive.Thanks
- Avoid staring at the intruder if you come face to face with them. They may interpret this as a threat or worry that you’ll be able to identify them later. [13] X Research sourceThanks
- If you come home to a broken window, tampered lock, or other sign of an invasion, do not touch anything and call the police. It’s possible that the intruder could still be inside.Thanks
- Learn your state’s laws on self-defense if you’re thinking of using deadly force. Some states allow you to shoot an intruder, while others have different definitions of “reasonable force.”Thanks
- If you run into an intruder, cooperate with them before trying to attack. Assume that the intruder has a weapon, and view physical confrontation as the last resort. Remember, your life is more important than any possessions!Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/noise/intruderalarm04004.pdf
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/may-i-shoot-an-intruder.html
About This Article
Article Summary
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Dealing with an intruder in your home can be a scary situation, but you can better handle it if you prepare for the event ahead of time. Designate a safe room that locks from the inside that you and your family can run to if you’re unable to get out of the house when there’s an intruder inside. You can also come up with a simple code word that you and your family can use to recognize that there’s an emergency. For example, if you shout a simple phrase like, “Escape!”, your family will know that they need to get out of the house or get to the safe room. Try to call emergency services as quickly as possible and provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible. Stay in the safe room until the police arrive. For tips about how to choose a strategic position in your safe room, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "Thank you! I woke up at 5:00 so I was going to do some cleaning but then my cat started meowing from his nighttime room which has a clear sunroof. My cat would never interrupt my family's sleep schedule unless someone walked past or in his room so I knew this was sketchy. I swiftly sneaked past the cat's room and went to the dining room where I keep my pocketknife and Kindle Fire. To know how to assess the situation I looked up an article and this is what I found." ..." more
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"Thank you! I woke up at 5:00 so I was going to do some cleaning but then my cat started meowing from his nighttime room which has a clear sunroof. My cat would never interrupt my family's sleep schedule unless someone walked past or in his room so I knew this was sketchy. I swiftly sneaked past the cat's room and went to the dining room where I keep my pocketknife and Kindle Fire. To know how to assess the situation I looked up an article and this is what I found."
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"This article helped me immensely! Just today I was home alone and a suspicious guy across the street kept repeatedly looking back at me and it seemed as if he was going to come over. I followed what this article said and now I am safe, thank God!"
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"I am at my grandparents' house now and everyone is asleep except me (I think.) I went downstairs to get a glass of water when I noticed the lights were on. As a kid I was always horrified of intruders, so got to my room and read this. Thank you."
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"I didn't go through this situation. But I am always home alone and someone always wants to knock on the door or try to come into my house. This really helped me a lot. Now I know how to stay safe if I come face to face with an intruder."
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"I was home alone when I heard a commotion outside. Turns out, my dad chased away a person who was trying to open our front door. Thanks to these tips, I know what to do if they come for a second visit."
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