I just posted the following on facebook, after seeing the millionth-plus post on "why didn't anyone step in when someone is causing trouble!
It's so easy to talk tough and say "I'll step in and show them when I see someone causing trouble". Easy to do that when you're not in the situation where you're in the physical presence of a troublemaker who is tougher, louder, and more psycho than you! Let's face it, most of us would really just think "why bother reasoning with that jerk?"
Which is why I'm so tired of these self-righteous fools who are watching from a screen and saying "why is nobody stepping in and saying something?" And I can guarantee that John Quinones (a guy who base his career on shaming CIVILIANS for not confronting trouble makers) would be reluctant to step in if he's in public without a film crew, when all of a sudden trouble pops off!
I'm not saying "be a silent bystander", I AM SAYING "stop shaming silent bystanders when you've been one a thousand times, you just lucky you haven't yet been recorded being one"
As for me, I usually get out of the situation and call 911 where the troublemaker can't see or hear me! But I can guarantee the camera won't catch that, and whoever's watching on the screen be like "omg, nobody stepping in, everyone's a silent bystander"
minutes after posting that, someone asked if something like that happened recently.
I did mention this
Reminds me of New Year's celebration at Kakaako Waterfront Park a few years back. I saw a drunken fight broke out, people were taking out their cell phones to record the fight. I ran to get security to break up that fight. The cellphones probably didn't record me trying to run to notify the security guard, so whomever was watching the recorded fight on the screen is probably thinking "why didn't nobody step in, why is everyone a silent bystander?"
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Now to clear up some potential misunderstandings that can come from reading the above
#1) I am NOT discouraging people from having courage!
Discouraging people from having courage is the act of lowlife scum!
However, that is NOT the same as me asking people to be patient with those who may not have the courage to confront a troublemaker alone!
#2) yes, I work in the education industry, and I can tell you that discipline is not as simple as it looks on TV!
Each educational institution has different protocols for each situation that requires discipline of students.
Some actually give only certain staff members the authority discipline certain students!
(this is especially true in Special Education contexts, but not limited to that)
People watching video clips of such situations may not know that context! Because they don't know that context, people watching on the screen will saying "why didn't that staff member do nothing"
Back in 2011, when I was a para-professional tutor at one public school, I was given certain protocols (which I felt was lenient) to deal with one student. Another staff member who wasn't aware of those protocols called me a "patsty" for following those protocols. That scumbag staff member is named Nadine Chun. Nadine Chun who called me a "patsy" acted like a patsy and called the police when I wrote an angry letter to her! I wrote about all that at http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-battles-at-pes.html
Also, I was a para-professional tutor at another school before that, where the protocol was to be a silent bystander during incidents where the classroom teacher was excessively lenient. Because those incidents didn't involve the student I was assigned to work with, I had to be a silent bystander. I wrote about that at http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-time-at-nvms.html
Since then, I refused to work as a para-professional tutor again. Being a substitute teacher is somewhat easier, since you are given more authority. But still, you have to follow official protocols which differ between schools or even within the same school!
It reminds me of when I was at a middle school subbing at a Special Education class with really vulnerable students. The students had outside recess, and nearby I saw another group of students (not in my class) playing in off-limits area. I had to ask another staff member what are the protocols for such situations, being that I had to supervise my group of students (who need constant supervision due to their vulnerabilities) but also that the whole situation (with students playing in off-limits areas) could be filmed by some stranger who may not understand the discipline protocols.
Same is true in many workplaces, which is why you may see retail workers not directly confronting rude customers because their employers have certain protocols that prevent confrontations.
So you may want to think of that the next time you watch some YouTube clip of silent bystanders!
#3) Don't EVER under-estimate the Element of Surprise!
The Element of Surprise is the most powerful weapon, more powerful than a knife, a gun or powerful punching skills!
The reason is that when you are caught off-guard by surprise, your brain goes into panic mode (regardless of how tough you are) that you can't think clearly! By the time you figure out the best plan for action, it is often TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE! The troublemaker is now gone!
Troublemakers KNOW THAT, which is why they target the unprepared.
Police and other security officials tend to be trained in constant vigilance.
Most people aren't!
People shopping in stores expect to have a leisurely experience, so they are caught off guard in situations in which they're not trained to handle! Which is why many stand around when a rude customer goes bezerk! Their brains are in panic mode of "what shall I do".
Do you think they like being in a panic mode? Do you actually believe those people don't have regrets 10 minutes later (when it's too late?) without being reminded by keyboard warriors?
So you may want to think of that the next time you watch some YouTube clip of silent bystanders!
So you may want to think of that the next time you watch some YouTube clip of silent bystanders!
