A few days ago a young woman was beaten and gang raped by a group of young men outside of a Homecoming Dance at Richmond High School. Reports state that:
…as many as 10 people ranging from 15 years to mid-20′s attacked the girl for more than two hours in a dimly lit area. As many as two dozen people witnessed the rape without notifying police.
What messages have youth received that have allowed them to stand by, or simply walk by, as a woman is beaten and gang raped? Has violence become so normal that watching it happen no longer elicits a response to intervene?
This is a very good example as to why Bystander Intervention is a crucial element of Prevention and Intervention work at schools and communities altogether. Many Rape Crisis Centers currently provide such workshops for schools, community members, and college and university campuses. Contact your local Rape Crisis Center for more information. You can access a list of Rape Crisis Centers by County here.
For more information on Bystander Intervention, here are some recources that may be useful to you:
Cindy Marroquin has been in the Violence Against Women field since 2002. Until recently, she worked for Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus – a dual Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault agency - in Modesto, CA. While there, she created curriculum and facilitated groups for both young children and teens as a part time Youth Specialist. She was also a part time Prevention Educator and was responsible for training and conducting public speaking presentations to diverse audiences on issues pertaining to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Throughout her five years at the agency, she also did a combination of Legal Advocacy, Court Accompaniment, Emergency Room Response, Crisis Intervention and Volunteer Program Coordinator.
Do you truly believe that “bystander intervention” is a workable solution for this type of thing? I have read reams on what happened, as well as all of the ‘talking head’ comments and blogs. Most opine as to how this is some new phenomenon attributable to some sort of post-modernism societal malaise.
I only have one thing to say: remember Kitty Genovese?
Too be certain though, this is a malaise of a different sort; it’s called “hooray for me and **** you.” And that is a national, cultural, distinctly American condition…and there is no intervention for that.
it amazes me how comfortable academic types are so quick to demand “bystander intervention” from people in much more perilous social circumstances.
Richmond, CA is a poor industrial town on the outskirts of the Bay Area (if you use Clorox bleach, that’s where they make it – they also have 4 oil refineries in the middle of their city) – there’s a lot of poverty, and the city is largely populated by low income Latinos and African Americans.
Like many impoverished communities with high unemployment rates, there is a large gang presence in the city.
Also, the local police and the county sheriff’s office have minimal resources – and have earned the mistrust of the community through years of systematic racial profiling and police brutality aimed at young men of color.
In this environment, do you really expect teenagers and young adults to call the cops on their peers?
Especially since they don’t trust the cops in the first place, and they know very well that folks who inform on gang members are at high risk of harassment, assault and even murder (and they will get no meaningful protection from the cops if the gangbangers come gunning for them).
Maybe bystander intervention MIGHT work for upper middle class students on an Ivy League campus – but in the inner city, not so much!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Cindy,
Thanks for your comments. As horrifying as this incident is, we need to highlight how to support people to be active bystanders and take action.
Do you truly believe that “bystander intervention” is a workable solution for this type of thing? I have read reams on what happened, as well as all of the ‘talking head’ comments and blogs. Most opine as to how this is some new phenomenon attributable to some sort of post-modernism societal malaise.
I only have one thing to say: remember Kitty Genovese?
Too be certain though, this is a malaise of a different sort; it’s called “hooray for me and **** you.” And that is a national, cultural, distinctly American condition…and there is no intervention for that.
Frank Pitz
it amazes me how comfortable academic types are so quick to demand “bystander intervention” from people in much more perilous social circumstances.
Richmond, CA is a poor industrial town on the outskirts of the Bay Area (if you use Clorox bleach, that’s where they make it – they also have 4 oil refineries in the middle of their city) – there’s a lot of poverty, and the city is largely populated by low income Latinos and African Americans.
Like many impoverished communities with high unemployment rates, there is a large gang presence in the city.
Also, the local police and the county sheriff’s office have minimal resources – and have earned the mistrust of the community through years of systematic racial profiling and police brutality aimed at young men of color.
In this environment, do you really expect teenagers and young adults to call the cops on their peers?
Especially since they don’t trust the cops in the first place, and they know very well that folks who inform on gang members are at high risk of harassment, assault and even murder (and they will get no meaningful protection from the cops if the gangbangers come gunning for them).
Maybe bystander intervention MIGHT work for upper middle class students on an Ivy League campus – but in the inner city, not so much!