General Question

Safie's avatar

What would you do if you saw someone attack another person would you pretend you didn't see or help ?

Asked by Safie (1223points) March 27th, 2015

We live in a world where everyone is too afraid to get involved it takes a special person to put their fears/safety aside in order to help someone else.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

17 Answers

janbb's avatar

I won’t know until I’m faced with that situation.

ragingloli's avatar

Depends on the attackee.
If the “victim” is a cop, then yes.

janbb's avatar

@ragingloli I think there’s an “or” in the question; “yes” doesn’t quite cut it.

ragingloli's avatar

Try to deduce.

janbb's avatar

Oh, I know what you meant!

Coloma's avatar

I’d call for help but would not intervene if the attacker had a gun or knife unless I could snag a weapon of some sort like a big stick or a shovel or something. haha
However, if I saw someone harming an animal without a weapon and there was a weapon nearby I could use to subdue them, I would absolutely knock them silly.
I carry rope in the trunk of my car,so in both scenarios I would then hogtie them and wait for the authorities.

I am still pretty tough and feisty for an older gal.

Safie's avatar

@Coloma, i think i would do exactly the same call for help especially if weapons are being used…you sound like a tough cookie lol…good on ya girl! :)

livelaughlove21's avatar

It depends on way too many factors to just give a yes or no answer.

If anyone knows @ragingloli at all, I’d think they would know what he meant by that statement even if it didn’t really answer the question.

janbb's avatar

@livelaughlove21 Sure, but the OP may not and it’s worth making a point of logic. To me, at least it was. And if I can rag a bit on RL at the same time, that’s gravy.

Coloma's avatar

@Safie I am not aggressive but hate seeing cruelty and injustice perpetrated against weaker beings. I am actually very diplomatic and have a great way with words, but, if I had to intervene I am also bold enough to be spurred on by my passions. Just to be clear, I am not a biker chick or anything. LOL
More like middle aged hippie that would prefer taking the more enlightened path of non-violence but not afraid to confront injustice.

ucme's avatar

Totally depends, if it’s a man attacking a woman, or a group on an individual, or an older kid on a much younger kid.
Those i’m stepping in on, any apparent “fair” fight, then get on with it.

cheebdragon's avatar

In all honesty, there is a good chance I would laugh.
I’m not saying it’s right, I’m just saying its a definite possibility.

In Mexico I watched a hooker beat up her pimp, it was hilarious.

Mariah's avatar

There is not much I could do; I am small and physically weak and would not be of much use, and I don’t want to risk also getting hurt myself. If it seems the assailant doesn’t have a weapon, and it seems that the victim is almost getting away and just needs a bit of extra help, I might jump in with my pepper spray.

I would call the cops in any case.

longgone's avatar

My plan is to approach the victim. I read an article a while back, which stated that the best way out of such a situation is to get on the attacker’s “side”. I would pretend to know the victim and gently admonish him for fighting again, or something. Anything to distract the attacker until help gets there. Ideally, I would also be able to ask other people for help. In that same article, it said to call them out directly. “You, in that yellow coat, please call the police. Sir, would you help me separate those two?”.

That’s the plan. No idea whether I’d be brave enough to pull it off – which is why I’m almost always glad to see security people.

Berserker's avatar

Call the cops, at the very least.

Earthbound_Misfit's avatar

It would depend on the circumstances. If I was on my own and the person attacking the other person was armed or a danger to me, I’d get to a safe place and call the police and/or try to find someone to go back to help the person. If I felt I was at a safe distance, I might make a noise and yell to try to stop the attack while trying to attract other help.

If I was with someone else and felt safe, I’d step up. My husband and I were walking down the street across the road from a pub and suddenly the doors flew open and this man came flying out and landed on the pavement. Bouncers followed (I think four of them) and knocked him down and pinned the fairly slightly built man to the ground. We heard his head hit the concrete. We crossed the road so we were right there and told the bouncers to get off the man. We told them they were using unreasonable force. It ended up with about four of us telling them to get off him. People will step up if someone else breaks the ice. The police arrived and we gave statements about the violence perpetrated by the bouncers. They tried to justify it by saying he’d been causing trouble, but there was no excuse for the force the four of them were using.

ibstubro's avatar

My mouth would overload my ass. I’d holler, probably something like, “HEY! WHAT are you DOING!?” It’s happened before and may happen again, yet I’m still alive to tell about it. And I don’t remember being in a physical fight in my life. The point is to derail the attack, then get everyone out alive.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.

This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.

Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther