Today in my lecture, we were discussing if we would intervene in certain situations where an individual is in need of help. My lecturer pointed out that most research studies suggested that people were less likely to intervene in a situation where an individual needed help, if they felt it wasn’t their place, if other people were around or felt that the responsibility lay with other people around e.g. older or male. My lecturer told us of how once she was walking past a bus stop and this young guy was ‘apparently’ seriously ripping into his girlfriend and that she was worried that this guy was going to get physical with this girl. As she was the only one around and older of the two, she felt it was her ‘duty’ to intervene and say something. I was just wondering how many of you, would intervene in a situation like this???? And how many of you would intervene if you saw a couple of youths harassing or physical attacking another individual, would you intervene??? I personally would want to intervene in both situations, but would question myself if it is my place to intervene? Especially the latter situation as there have been so many horror stories here (UK), where someone has intervened and ended up getting attacked or murdered. So in short would you personally intervene in these situations? And If not, why????
this young guy was ‘apparently’ seriously ripping into his girlfriend (he wasn't being physical) I would not intervene. I don't really think it is any of my business. If I was having an argument with my BF and a stranger stepped in I would think it was none of their business! ( But then again we don't have those kind of arguments in public)
I would probably think and do the same thing, i think thats is most people's natural reaction. But "what if" after you passed by and didn't intervene, and he seriously physically assaulted her, wouldn't feel a bit to blame??? Maybe that's just my weird way of thinking.
I wouldnt unless he became physical, otherwise couples fight all the time, ripping into someone doesnt invite someone else into your business
You can always call the cops if you don't want to intervene yourself. Me, I would size up the situation first and my possible adversary... I'm a coward like that Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Unless it was something REALLY serious, something I couldn't live with if I didn't intervene.
Well you all seem pretty set that you wouldn't intervene in the boyfriend ripping into the girlfriend situation, but what about someone physically attacking another person, would you intervene then??
agreed. I probably wouldn't have walked far away though, just in case. When people act like that in public, it scares me how they may act in private.
yeah i would, and have. one time at school, there was a couple of kids picking on this one kid. i went up and had a go at them and i was like, "fuck off c**** and leave him alone" they were kinda shocked and just walked off.. then the other kid just ran away. they were about a year younger than me, but still even if it was someone older, id probably still have a go at 'em. nobody deserves to be treated like that, and i reckon that if you see someone getting bashed then you should do something about it. i mean, at least tell the police or security or whatever, if you feel like it wouldnt be safe for you to intervene.
I've called 911 when I've seen someone getting hurt. I've called 911 when i know someone was gonna get hurt. I have children now and I never intervene myself. For all I know that other person has a gun. I was babysitting a friend's kids. She showed up the next day to get them. She had a black eye starting and was bawling. Her boyfriend had beat her up, held a gun to her head, and told her to go get the damn kids. So she was there to get them so "Could you please hurry up and get their coats. He's waiting in teh car and he only gave me 10 minutes" Pffft! 911 After they chased him, he ended up driving home. The cops arrested him on the phone crying to his Mom that the mother of his children was having him locked away.
Yes. I don't know if I would intervene if a couple were arguing, but if it got physical, that is a different thing altogether. It depends on the situation. We had neighbours who had always been very quiet. They seemed like a nice couple. Then late one night I heard yelling and screaming from their house. I thought to myself they are obviously having a big argument. But then it got louder and louder. All of a sudden we heard glass breaking and the yelling by that point was terrifying. We walked outside into our front yard and noticed that the other neighbours had also stepped outside. Then we heard the wife screaming for help and the sounds of violence from their house... I dashed back inside to call the police as my husband and several other neighbours started running for their house. By the time they got there, he had smashed her head through a window and had thrown her out of said window, jumped on her and was pummeling into her. My husband and a few others managed to drag him off her and this guy was terrifyingly violent. They had to pin him down until the police arrived a few minutes later. She was badly beaten up and their house was trashed. He had apparently gone on a drinking binge and decided to beat her because she had not cooked something he wanted to eat. A verbal fight is one thing. One that you suspect could lead to violence or does lead to violence, that is completely different. Each situation is different and you cannot judge until you are faced with it. There was a case many years ago in suburban Melbourne (Australia) where a girl was raped (by a stranger) in the back of her car in a shopping centre carpark, with the car door wide open. She apparently screamed for help at passers by and they completely ignored her and went on their way. I cannot understand how people can just ignore calls for help.
Gosh, are they still together??? Did he get charged or arrested??? That sounds similar to the Kitty Genovese incident. Its scary that people are super reluctant to help with extremes cases like this.
Mostly because of lawyers like you who are willing to sue anyone and everyone for doing something like "helping" others. And please don't act like you don't know that people have been sued for exactly that, Bells! And, hey, didn't you leave this place? Geez, I was so happy to see you go, now ...here you are again? duh. Baron Max
i would intervene but have to be very careful in that situation and i would put it in a different way when i tell him off to stop what hes doing i would say that mental abuse is the worst abuse on women cause it causes psychological problems we call it psychological abuse and its the worse abuse and is illegal here can cause pysical problems not just mental is very bad for a woman to cop that
dont, even a simple profession of objective knowledge will bring you under suspicion it is a sickening indictment of the human condition let em suffer let em die besides, god wants it that way
Every situation is very different. I would assess the dilemma and figure if I was really needed first of all. If the man or woman had a weapon of any kind I would not try to do anything but call the authorities and walk away but not out of their sight so I could keep an eye on what happens, if anything. If all they were doing was shouting I'd leave them alone probably. If they were starting to hit each other or one hitting the other I would try to talk to them pretending I was an undercover cop and that I had already called for back up so they had better stop or they or one of them would be arrested.
word up negro if i were to expound on recent events, it would be the definitive expose on sci and its supposedly "intelligent" community.
good Morning i hope all is well. For my 2 pence worth i would probably not intervene if it was just a loud verbal fight, however if it was violent i probably would. A few years ago, i was wlking down a path too my local supermarket and i saw these 2 kids (must ahve been about 16-18yrs old) beating the crap out of another kid in a side entrance to a desolate bulding, so i told them to get the fuck off him and leave it out (or words to that effect) they did but one of the boys said, "oh yeah do you want some instead" i was about 23 and these guys would ahve kicked me in, but i got lucky as there was this big guy just walking about 10 yards behind me who said, "ok then do you wanna try" They took one look at him and pissed off, thank God!!! So i perhaps may not intervene if i was the only one around but probbaly woudl if i saw other people who could potential help me if it got out of hand!! ~~~~~~~~ cheers zak
