Ruth Krug's Experience Of Being A Bystander

Many children grow up idolizing the heroes they see on screen. They dress up as superman or batman for Halloween and pretend to fly around the house saving people. Unfortunately, when given the chance to truly do something heroic, many people shy away from action. Anyone who witnesses a crime, particularly a violent one, ought to be expected to do whatever is in their power to decrease the damage done. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their society but few truly do. This must change. Bystanders must do everything they can in order to stop a crime. If a bystander simply witnesses a crime and does nothing to help, they are almost as bad as the criminal. For example, Ruth Krug tells of her own experience of being raped. A man she knew

As Krug says in her article, “sometimes [bystanders] just need to speak up.” Sam Staley, a martial artist, agrees with this point saying that “for some, simply calling 911 may be as far as they can go.” This is the bare minimum that should be expected of a bystander if they witness a violent crime. The moment someone witnesses an attack, they become involved in the outcome. Standing by innately turns the outcome to the negative and the witness holds blame for their inaction. Calling the police may not even be necessary for a non-violent crime such as petty theft or the like. However, these crimes must be reported to some authority. It is not the bystander’s right to decide what happens to the criminals and victims of crimes. They must inform an authority or the victim that the crime is occurring and who was involved in it. This allows those involved in the wrongdoing to work it out among themselves or through a fair

For instance, Sarah Ben-David and Inna Levy suggest that, because of the inability to determine whether an uninvolved party could have affected the attack’s outcome, “it is impossible to objectively determine whether the bystander should be blamed.” However, just because a bystander may not have affected the outcome of the crime, they must still do something to try. This may be to call the police, get physically involved, or simply help the victim after the crime has occurred. While the final option is the least productive, it is a safe, easy way for the witness to make amends for their lack of assistance to the victim. Bystanders must do everything possible to help, regardless of whether their actions would aid in the prevention or resolution of a crime or not. By at least reporting what they have seen they may be able to help identify the culprit, save the victim emotionally or physically, or even enable an authority to arrive at the scene of the crime in time to stop it from doing the most possible damage. In the end, no matter what a bystander’s skillset is or whether they are capable of productive intervention, society must put pressure one witnesses of a crime to do something to stop it. Otherwise, it is as good as telling victims of assault, rape, kidnapping, mugging, and many other violent crimes that their suffering doesn’t