How to Survive the Worst-Case Scenario

O, The Oprah Magazine | From the April 2007 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

It's Night, You're Home Alone, and There's a Burglar in the House

Consider the Odds: "A very small percentage of burglaries occur when somebody's home," says Michael R. Rand, chief of victimization statistics for the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. "They want to steal things; they're not looking for confrontation."

But If It Does Happen: "If someone's coming in through your window or fire escape, run out the front door—and vice versa. If you can't get out, lock yourself in the bedroom, barricading the door if necessary, and call 911 from your cell phone, which you should keep by the bed at night. If he reaches you anyway, remember counterattack rule number one: Get 'em in the eyes. As McCann notes, if someone can't see you, he can't hurt you. Aim pepper spray, air freshener, or hairspray right where it counts.