Would Intervene and Help a Person in Distress?

[Styles]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6960318.stm

 

"Police have arrested a man in connection with the rape of a woman whose appeals for help were ignored by passing motorists."

 

Also in the case of the bouncer who was assualted outside Moonies he says in the Shetland times that he was disapointed that people just watched and carried on playing pool etc as he was being assualted.

 

But people who have intervened such as in the case of the murdered teacher Philip Lawrence have lost their life trying to intervene. plus there is also the posibility of being sued or being done for a criminal offence.

 

Would you intervene if you saw someone being assualted, attacked, intimidated etc?

[crofter]

I have crossed the street to help a woman who was being slapped around by her boyfriend(?) - got headbutted for my concern, by the drunken psycho woman!

[MuckleJoannie]

Jeremy Vine had da same tocht

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6954778.stm

[nautim]

I've intervened to help someone who was streaming with blood in Aberdeen - the pub I went into to get towels/papper/whatever was most unhelpful. She left in an ambulance. It was only after it was sorted I realised that perhaps I shouldn't have got involved. That was a few years ago.

 

I was in Aberdeen again a few weeks ago and saw an old man trip on the step into the churchyard in Union Street. My first instinct was to stop and help, but I have to admit that my next thought was 'What if he's full of drink'. I decided that, with him lying on the ground, his worst attack was a mouthful of abuse, so I asked if he was ok. Turned out he was in his 70's, was ok (but a bit shocked), and had just lost his footing. I lifted him to his feet and made sure he was alright before leaving. Noone else did. If this had been my mother I would have hoped someone would have done the same as I did.

[DeMascus]

As said by Vine once he said something other people joined in and chastised the man on the bus.

 

The Milgram experiment is worth a look. There was an extension done to the experiment, where they used a group of people instead of the individual administering the shocks. It produced similar results with the interesting effect that once one of the group voiced concerns and refused to continue the rest generally fell in line, they may be worried about it but without the vocalization they would continue.

 

junior posted this link in the Glasgow thread, the second part regarding this and a liberal mindset is worth comment here.

[Freyr]

Unless helping might cause injury to yourself you have an obligation to help people in distress. I believe one could even be punished for not helping. Another case is when people are being beaten up. Then you might risk personal injury, but often you don't have to physically break things up. Making the attacker aware that you are there as a witness or stating that you will intervene is often enough.

[EnglishinScotland]

I probably wouldn't dare to intervene if someone was being beaten up, sad though it is, i'd probably just fear the same thing happening to me.

[Twerto]

I helped out two old dears that were in distress outside sommerfields today as they tried to get to their car.

[sheepshagger]

The (** MOD EDIT **) up way things are if you do get involved and have to use force to help someone, you will probably end up in the dock yourself.

I mean you would probably infringe the poor deprived souls human right to be a lout.

Scotish law states you can use the force nessesary to defend yourself but I am unsure about what force you can use to defend someone else.

In England god help you if someone breaks into your house because the law most certainly won't, unless you consider getting moved to an 8 by 10 secure room help.

About 18 years ago in Aberdeen I intervened when seeing someone being attacked and I spent a night in the cells for my troubles.

The police knew that I had intervened to prevent someone else getting a hidding, the person that I tackled had a long list of previous charges for violence. The police attitude was it their job not mine, but if I had stood back the young lad would of been hospitalised and the thug would of got clean away, I got a police caution for my trouble same as the thug, the young lad did buy me a pint when I met him in the pub a few weeks later.

Would I do the same again? yes of course I would, I have seen the results of beatings some folks lives are never the same after it.

I know of one case that a gang beat the (** MOD EDIT **) out of another lad, one of the said thugs thought it to be a good idea to jump up and down on their victims head. After much debate with the lawers he was the only member of the gang to recieve a custodial sentance and he had his coming out of jail party before the victim was out of hospital.

not much justice there!

So I could never stand back and watch some one in trouble without trying to help

[JustMe]

Well now, I looked at this topic and thought that depending on the circumstances I probably would do something. Then it happened!. On the South Road close to the Matchbox a guy leapt out of a car and started kicking a young lad.........15yo or so. In broad daylight. Now I had three options. Could have shouted at the attacker, could have dropped my messages and run to the lad's rescue or I could have taken out my camera and photographed the attack so the police would have evidence for prosecuting the attacker.

 

So what did I do?. Well I am sorry to say that I was so gobsmacked that I did nothing at all before the attacker drove off and the lad continued walking towards town. Guess it is hard to predict ones reaction in advance.