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Appearance
Tattoos
While tattoos are in fashion, radical tattoos about the face, neck and hands (also known as "job stoppers") send a clear message to society about where that person places him or herself.

Definately not going to get that job at Google

Clearly this is who you hope comes to pick up your daughter. Facial and Neck tattoos send a definite message.

Stereotypes
Clothing like that of a gang-banger in the Black/Hispanic/Asian communiies, White Supremacist or Tony Soprano-type Mafioso clothing and gestures give the subject a sense of power may also be an indication of support of that behavior. While profiling is frowned upon by the politically correct community, we must respect the fact that people who engage in these types of dress and behaviors choose this first impression for a reason.

Gang Bangin' EAST LA Style

The Crips in the House!

Jack boots and shaved heads is the Skin Head classic look

Deception
When someone is being deceitful, they will exhibit a few if not all of the following nonverbal cues:
*   Eyes maintain little or no eye contact, or there may be rapid eye movements, with pupils constricted.
* Hand or fingers are in front of his or her mouth when speaking.
* His or her body is physically turned away from you, or there are unusual/un-natural body gestures.
* His or her breathing rate increases.
* Complexion changes such as in color; red in face or neck area.
* Perspiration increases.
* Voice changes such as change in pitch, stammering, throat clearing.
Threat
Facial signals
Much aggression can be shown in the face, from disapproving frowns and pursed lips to sneers and full snarls. The eyes can be used to stare and hold the gaze for long period. They may also squint, preventing the other person seeing where you are looking.
Attack signals

When somebody is about to attack, they give visual signal such as clenching of fists ready to strike and lowering and spreading of the body for stability. They are also likely to give anger signs such as redness of the face.

Exposing oneself
Exposing oneself to attack is also a form of aggression. It is saying 'Go on - I dare you. I will still win.' It can include not looking at the other person, crotch displays, relaxing the body, turning away and so on.

Invasion
Invading the space of the other person in some way is an act of aggression that is equivalent to one country invading another.
False friendship

Invasion is often done under the cloak of familiarity, where you act as if you are being friendly and move into a space reserved for friends, but without being invited. This gives the other person a dilemma of whether to repel a 'friendly' advance or to accept dominance of the other.
Approach

When you go inside the comfort zone of others without permission, you are effectively invading their territory. The close you get, the greater your ability to have 'first strike', from which an opponent may not recover.

Touching
Touching the person is another form of invasion. Even touching social touch zones such as arm and back can be aggressive.
Gestures

Insulting gestures
There are many, many gestures that have the primary intent of insulting the other person and hence inciting them to anger and a perhaps unwise battle. Single and double fingers pointed up, arm thrusts, chin tilts and so on are used, although many of these do vary across cultures (which can make for hazardous accidental movements when you are overseas).

Many gestures are sexual in nature, indicating that the other person should go away and fornicate, that you (or someone else) are having sex with their partner, and so on.
Mock attacks

Gestures may include symbolic action that mimics actual attacks, including waving fingers (the beating baton), shaking fists, head-butts, leg-swinging and so on. This is saying 'Here is what I will do to you!'

Physical items may be used as substitutes, for example banging of tables and doors or throwing . Again, this is saying 'This could be you!'

Sudden movements
All of these gestures may be done suddenly, signaling your level of aggression and testing the other person's reactions.
Large gestures

The size of gestures may also be used to signal levels of aggression, from simple finger movements to whole arm sweeps, sometimes even with exaggerated movements of the entire body.


Concealed Weapons
While observing a potential suspect the suspect’s ‘strong’ side is first identified (e.g. by observing which hand or arm a person usually uses for most actions, such as lightning cigarettes, holding, moving objects, or showing something to someone). Once the dominant side of the body is determined, the next step is to look at places on the suspect’s body where a gun can be hidden. The two most common places to hide a gun are the right front waistband and the small pocket of the back. The observation of arm movements, which reveal certain emotions one can experience while he/she is carrying a gun, can predict that someone is hiding a gun. Because the gun is a loose object, the suspects are constantly in fear it will slip, which makes them periodically touch it, consciously and unconsciously, to be sure it’s still there. The way that criminals with concealed weapons walk may also have peculiar characteristics. These characteristics are particularly noticeable when armed subjects are running or moving abruptly. Then they tend to hold the arm against the concealed weapon, either stiffly or with a very restrained swing. Another visual sign associated with walking with a concealed gun is that the stride on the side of the body holding the gun will be shorter than that on the other side. The arm may be held against the gun as a form of protective movement, especially if other people come closer to the suspect. The movement of the shoulder may also reveal a concealed gun if the criminal is seated in a vehicle. By looking closely at the movement of the shoulder it may be visible that the shoulder is moving up which can indicate that a gun being drawn from the waistband, or dipping down, which may mean that the person is hiding drugs, booze, or weapons.

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
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References

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Cusson, M. (1993). Situational Deterrence: Fear During the Criminal Event. Crime prevention studies, 1, 55-68.

Ekman, P. (1965). Differential Communication of Affect by Head and Body Cues. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2, 725-735.

Ekman, P. & Friesen, W.V. (1967). Head and Body in the Judgment of Emotion: A Reformulation. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 24, 711-724.

Ekman, P. & Friezen, W.V. (1969). Nonverbal Leakage and Clues to Deception. Psychiatry, 32, 88–105.

Ekman, P. & Friesen, W.V. (1974). Detecting Deception From the Body or Face. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 29, 288–298.

Hales, G., Lewis C., and Silverstone D. (2006). Gun Crime: the Market in and Use of Illegal Firearms. Home Office Research Study 298.

Hadjikhani, N. & de Gelder, B. (2003). Seeing Fearful Body Expressions Activates the Fusiform Cortex and Amygdala. Current Biology, 13, 2201-2205.

Katz, J. (1988). Seduction of Crime: Moral and Sensual Attractions in doing Evil. USA: Basic Books.

Meier-Faust, T. (2002). The Importance Non-verbal Communication in Diagnostic Assessment in the Traffic Psychological Exploration. Paper presented at BDP congress for traffic psychology 2002, University of Regensburg.

Meijer, M. de (1989). The Contribution of General Features of Body Movement to the Attribution of Emotions. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour, 13 (4), 247-269.

Montepare, J. M., Goldstein, S.B. and Clausen, A. (1987). The Identification of Emotions from Gait Information. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour, 11 (1), 33-43.