If you have ever been the victim or near-victim of a crime, it is natural to feel unsafe for a bit and be wary. In fact, even if you have never been the victim of a crime but just watch the evening news and see that there is danger, you may feel unsafe. Despite these unsafe feelings, many people still don't want to buy guns, knives or other dangerous weapons that they are untrained to use. That doesn't mean, though, that you can't buy other self-protection items that can aid you in case of an emergency.

There are many online stores that have self-protection items that can be purchased for your own safety. There are ample types of stun guns, stun batons and pepper sprays that can be used for protection not just for you but those around you and your loved ones as well.

Each of them is great for home use or can be left in your car or even toted around (in the case of the stun gun and pepper spray) for portable access when you may need them most.

A stun gun is not a toy, it is a weapon that should only be used when you feel threatened. It luckily doesn't look like a toy, so children will be less inclined to try and play with it. Stun guns are generally small hard plastic boxes with two small prongs on top. It resembles a garage door closer in many ways. You press it up to the skin of the offender and press the button and it zaps them with thousands of volts of electricity. Several stun gun models offer different voltages in them.

Stun batons are similar to stun guns in that they transfer thousands of volts of energy to the other person, rendering them incapacitated for several minutes. Studies have shown that a stun baton is much better than a stun gun because you don't have to be as close to the perpetrator as you do with a stun gun. It is possible to remain a few feet away and still use your stun baton because of its reach. Of course, because it is more advanced and larger, the price is larger as well. But it is well worth the investment if you don't want to get up close and personal with your potential attacker.

Pepper spray is a very common self defense item. The largest is a canister that is the size, shape and function of a small fire extinguisher. Of course, not everyone needs or wants this level of protection; hence Pepper spray also comes packaged as a personal sized pepper spray as well. You can choose from keychain pepper spray with or without holsters and larger cans that look like ladies' cosmetics. There is also the option of mace pepper spray, which of course is much more effective in stopping potential predators from being successful in a robbery or other criminal attempt. IT is important to make sure you check with the requirements of your city or town to make sure you obtain the proper license to carry.