Individuals are framed for crimes they did not commit. There are threats, and blackmail attempts. Certain acts of vandalism are done, with the message that this is only the start. Offering up another victim, the one least likely to have defenses or retaliate against the entity selecting them, is tried first. Should this be a situation where the resulting attacks from the substitute victim are anticipated to be as bad as the original attack, this ploy is abandoned.
Distraction is tried.
The victim may attempt to start a fire, literally and figuratively. The child anticipating a deadline at school, for which he is unprepared, may foist a bomb scare on the school to buy time. If the victim cannot escape, they may point to the side, hoping to distract the attacker. This seldom works, or when it does, seldom works for long. The victim, having been chosen because he or she is helpless, is like a mouse in a box.