It sucks that we even have to discuss this but as people get desperate they will start to do desperate things.  It is inevitable in serious situations if it’s every man and family for himself / herself people who are not prepared will try and take advantage of those who are prepared.  

Even those who are not violent by nature or don’t think they can defend themselves have options. 

There are two different types of self defense.  The first type of defense would be a passive defense.  Make your home more secure so people can’t get in and you won’t have to defend yourself.  Create good hiding places for your supplies and you and your family.  If people don’t think you are home and there are no supplies there to help them, they will more than likely move along.  People will have to roam and forage if they can’t easily get the supplies they need where they are.  You can also do things like put bars or shutters on your windows.  God forbid we ever get to this point but you can always board or brick them up too.   Those who have a hidden safe room will not only have a perfect place to keep their supplies but a perfect place to keep their family in event of an emergency.  The best way to survive a confrontation is to avoid it.  Remember when society breaks down it doesn’t have to be a big wound to eventually become fatal. 

The other type of defense is active defense which means fortifying more than just the house but also actively defending it with whatever weapons you can find.  There are several types of weapons which are available to use that can be used for more than just defense so it’s important to have them around already.