Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Teens: Teaching Situational Awareness to Keep Teenagers Safe

As adults, we like to think we have a good idea of what the world may have in store for our teenagers, but the fact of the matter is there’s a vast divide between what we perceive as dangerous and what our teens are actually up against.

Teenagers (ages 13 - 19) face unique challenges when it comes to situational awareness.

These challenges are only exacerbated by the constant physical and biological changes teens are subjected to. As young people learn to deal with these changes, they begin to explore the limits of their individuality.

Unfortunately, this process often involves rebellious behavior and unnecessary risk-taking. The key to keeping teens safe during this time is to keep them alert and engaged with their environment.

Teenagers have to understand that real personal safety isn’t about being scared of what lies around the next corner. It requires confidence that if something bad were about to happen, that they have these skills:

• Ability to identify the problem early


• Competence to develop a plan of action


• Power to control their fear


• Aptitude to implement that plan

Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Teens is designed around the principles of positive communication, trust, and teamwork. It’s written specifically to set parents’ minds at ease and allow teens to confidently explore their independence, secure in the fact that they can spot dangerous situations before they happen and take the necessary steps to ensure their own well-being.

Gary Quesenberry is a US Army veteran and a career Federal Air Marshal. As a defensive tactics trainer for Federal and civilian services, he has devoted his life to studying the areas of violence and predatory behavior. Gary serves as the CEO of Q-Series LLC and has developed numerous basic and advanced level training courses focused on mental toughness, marksmanship, and defensive tactics. As a competitive pistol shooter, Gary has been featured on the History Channel’s hit television series Top Shot - Season 3 and Top Shot All-Stars. He has an extensive background in domestic and foreign counter-terror training and has worked in both the private and corporate sectors to help educate others on the importance of situational awareness, and personal safety. Gary resides in Hillsville, Virginia.