When a Predator Speaks: We Need to Listen
Studying the words of violent offenders is uncomfortable — and it should be. But if our goal is to understand violence prevention, we can’t ignore how predators think. The following quotes from Paul Bernardo’s court and psychological interviews are not shared to glorify him, but to expose the tactics predators rely on — fear, hesitation, and compliance. Only by examining these patterns can we prepare ourselves and others with strategies that truly work in the real world.
“Once they were scared enough, they stopped fighting… it wasn’t about strength after that.”
— Paul Bernardo, court testimony, 1995
Lesson: Tactical violence isn’t always required when psychological terror creates compliance.
What Chris Thinks → Too many people spend hours perfecting their striking or physical defences — which is backwards. Real strength begins with preparing yourself mentally and psychologically. If someone can “win” in your mind before anything physical happens, your skills never get a chance to matter.
“I watched whether they froze or fought… most people just didn’t believe what was happening — and that made it easier.”
— Paul Bernardo (interviews & psych transcripts, 1993–95)
Lesson: Predators don’t always overpower you physically — they wait for you to overpower yourself mentally.
What Chris Thinks → Violence prevention begins in the moments where people hesitate, hoping it isn’t real. Freezing, denying, trying to be polite — these reactions feel natural, but they signal to a predator that you’re manageable. Mental and emotional readiness is not paranoia… it’s protection.
“Fear makes people predictable.”
— Statement during police interviews, 1994
Lesson: Predictability is exploitable. Prevention starts with preparedness… not toughness.
What Chris Thinks → If your only plan is “panic and hope to be rescued,” you become easy to read — and easier to control. Preparedness isn’t pessimistic… it’s practical.
What these insights reveal is simple: violence prevention is not about who can strike harder or train longer — it’s about who can recognize the psychological game before it starts. Predators exploit hesitation, denial, and fear. Our job is to replace those with awareness, preparedness, and confidence. That’s why experienced instructors continue to seek out SAFE Certification — not just to teach techniques, but to equip people with the mindset that can stop violence before it becomes physical.
Find out why even experienced self-defence instructors seek SAFE Certification →
https://safeinternational.biz/safe-certification-page
⚠️ Disclaimer: The statements above are paraphrased from Paul Bernardo’s court testimony, police interviews, and psychiatric evaluations (1993–1995). They are not word-for-word quotes, but accurately reflect the mindsets and patterns he described. The purpose of this article is educational — to expose how predators think so that we can better prepare for violence prevention
Keep SAFE!
Chris Roberts
