I have a quick question however it does not have a quick or simple answer...........
If you were in a situation as a 17 year old where your best friend was being pummelled by another 17 year old, would you try and pull that person off your best friend or would you wait for the authorities to intervene (who are at least ten minutes away)?
But there is more.........you are at school
And yet more - as you are trying to protect your friend, the attacker turns on you and punches you in the ribs and across the bridge of the nose. Would you retaliate or would you wait for the authorities to intervene?
The interesting result of this is under NSW Schools policy, any act of violence (including what I would class as self defence) warrants instant (long) suspension from school.
The 'protector' has been bullied for their 12 years at school. Both the attacker and the 'protector' are injured.
This is a really basic scenario - there are other contributing items but I think these are the important ones.
On the whole as a society, we tend to take the attitude of 'it's not my problem' or 'its not my business' when we see someone in trouble and so many people walk by and do nothing on so many levels. Given the above example, seriously, what are we teaching our kids?
My opinion (and I don't expect everyone will agree) is that yes, on a school policy level the 'wrong' thing was done, as a human being assisting another human being, I see no fault in protecting your mate or yourself. Start the fight though, that's a whole different matter and one I will never condone.
