How Involved Would You Get If You Saw Somebody Being Mistreated?

by minimus 21 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  minimus

  We live in a world where people do not want to get involved. If they see a domestic abuse, they walk the other way. If they see signs of neglect or abuse, many just go on with their business.

  Would you get involved with a situation, even if you might get caught in a crossfire yourself?

  I know some persons that would not directly get involved with a matter but they might "drop a dime" on someone, and remain anonymous.

  Have you ever gotten involved in something because you felt it was necessary, even though it might not have been your business?
• 

  undercover

  By 'crossfire' I hope you don't mean by bullets...'cause if that's what you meant, then hell no, I ain't gettin' involved.

  Seriously though, it depends on the situation...and the people. I have stepped in when I saw mistreatment...and I've defended people who were wrongly accused. But I try to not usually get caught up in other people's business...unless someone is in peril.

  And some people are just dumbasses. Better to let dumbasses cancel each other out. Natural selection at work... And sometimes you mess in someone else's business and end up having to defend yourself. Better to be a fly on the wall instead of the fly in the shit on that one...
• 

  Married to the Mob

  I once drove my car up on to a pavement to help a woman who "appeared" to be getting attacked. On getting out of the car I was told by the woman to "go away!" in slightly less polite terms!

  I am not sure if I would overtly do something to help. Some people don't want to be helped or feel embarrassed by others getting involved, but I would certainly tip off child services if it was abuse/neglect of a child.
• 

  mrsjones5

  I ran out of my apartment to help a woman who had just been hit by a car. Before she got hit there was an altercation between her an another woman and I called to cops. Good thing that I did.

  A girl is attacked in this video as security stood by, I would have jumped in and stopped the attack.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNOzTWlmZkc
• 

  Think About It

  A few years before 9/11, I helped a flight attendent who was shoved by a german asshole who looked like the blonde guy from diehard, because she wouldn't give him a first class meal. They arrested his butt when we touched down in DC. It does make people freeze, because you think that you will get into trouble.

  Think About It
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  I'm more likely to help today as a fader than when I was a hardcore dub.

  The compunction to not help (or even call for help) is a normal psychological phenomenon. Not to say it can't and shouldn't be overcome. Often times it should.

  I still feel guilt to this day over what might be considered a minor incident where I didn't help. A 'brother' was beating his child in the bathroom at an assembly. The charge? The kid wouldn't stop crying. Dad would say, "quit crying!" and with every next sob, he's smack him again and repeat the order.

  I'm sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I hope that kid grew up ok and left the borg. God forgive me and all the other 'brothers' in that room for not saying a damn thing to that a-hole.
• 

  miseryloveselders

  Domestic situations make me conflicted. I was always taught from a young age, that you don't get involved with that. I've never personally been in a situation where I've witnessed some guy beating his girl, or wife, and hope I never will. Between my own father telling me not to get involved, and other guys telling me this as I was growing up, and now coming into my own as a man...I'm conflicted because I don't 100% agree with standing back and doing nothing. I feel like its a duty to help some woman when that happens, but at the same time, most women will go back to the guy beating her. If you start defending her physically , she'll defend him. Catch 22. I purposely avoid people like that in general when I can. I look at Ron Goldman, and think he'd still be alive had he stayed away from Nicole, because its a similar situation. But he wanted to play hero, and the results ended otherwise. Heck, watch the average episode of Cops and its the same thing with some guy in a wife-beater with ravioli stains who shoved his woman down the steps, and when the cops come, she ends up defending him. Or when he gets out of county, she goes right back to him.

  MrsJones, that situation on Youtube is crazy, cuz that was security standing around doing nothing right? I thought it came out that was their policy though? When I was in high school, I saw about 15 dudes catch a rival by himself, and i felt bad for the kid. The guys were debating which one of them would hit him first. Eventually one of em just clocked him, then they stomped him out. Looking back on it, as an adult, would I do something now? Probably not, cuz thats the lifestyle the victim chose. Beside what could I do? That same year as a teenager, we had a bad snowstorm, and they let us out of school early, and they started throwing snowballs at the cars going by. This huge 18 wheeler comes along, and the driver, big burly Grizzly Adams looking fellow got out and decided he was going to put an end to the madness. He got out, and said some words. Within seconds, a snowball hit him in the eye. Then the snowballs started coming like bullets. He promptly got in his truck and got out of there. It was actually kind of hilarious. Had he actually walked away from the truck and walked over to those throwing the snowballs, he would have gotten a lot worse.
• 

  mrsjones5

  It's wise to know when to pick your battles. Getting involved could be as simple as calling 911.
• 

  truthseekeriam

  I would always get involved..Call 911 and scream out that the police are on the way, throw a shoe, something. I certainly wouldn't just watch someone being attacked.
• 

  troubled mind

  I have called the police several times over the years because of problems going on that I saw .One of these days it will get me in trouble . I just can't stand by and do nothing when someone is being hurt .

  I have had the experience of being at an assembly and hearing a mother beat a small child with a brush or wooden paddle in the stall next to me .It was going overboard . I finally screamed out at her to' STOP ! That was Not disciplining' .I went out and told the attendent about it ,but I am sure nothing was said to her .Felt so bad for the child .

  One time we were getting ready for the meeting and I heard a woman scream next door .Then I heard her little boy yelling for someone to help his Mommy . We could hear her ex yelling and hitting her ,so I called 911 explained what was happening ,then went in the yard and yelled to the a-hole that the police were coming he had better leave her be. They had a car chase to get him ,but he did time for beating her .

  A elderly neighbor across the street called me one day telling me she was afraid the people next door to her were selling drugs ,so I said I would keep an eye out . Sure enough suspicous cars came and went all day ,i started keeping state and license numbers . After a week I called the police station and they confirmed that house was being watched . Some how it got back to the punk that lived in the house that I was the one talking to the police and through kids at High School he sent a message to my son that I had better shut my mouth or HE would ,permanently ! Really caused my boys to be angry and scared at the same time .A few weeks later he came to my door asking if I saw who broke into his home and stole his stereo, and I just said "NO,why don't you report it to the Police ". They finally had enough on him to make an arrest and he served time.

  I also called the police on him when he and another punk were out in the street fighting swearing they were going to shoot each other .

  I have ghetto neighbors !