Trinitonian July Online Issue

THE BYSTANDER
Bystanders are those who stand by and watch acts of bullying, violence or assault, or even those that hear
about such incidences or see video footage of such acts. Depending on how a bystander chooses to react to
the situation is what determines whether the bystander contributes to the problem or the solution. There are
various types of bystanders, they include:
Instigating Bystander:
These are people who encourage the bullying or
violence to begin by verbalising the action. They say
things like, “Hit him!” or “Teach her a lesson!”
Comedy Bystander:
These are people who make the serious and
dangerous situation into entertainment. They laugh
and jeer and pass jokes, all the while encouraging the
bad behaviour. They say things like, “Give him a Bruno
Mars… an oops upside the head.”
Passive Bystander
They’re the silent voyeurs who just quietly watch.
These people provide the audience that a bully craves
and the silent acceptance that allows the bully to feel
more powerful.
Documenting Bystander:
This is the person who whips out a cellphone in
the middle of a fight and proceeds to film the
whole event from start to finish. Usually, this
footage is then shared with the other bystanders
and other friends and come complete with the
“Ooooohs” and “Yohs!” that come with physical
blows.
The Sharing Bystander:
These are the people who weren’t even present
at the fight, but who received video footage
or sound bites of the incident and who choose
to comment and share the content to their
network of friends and family. This keeps the bad
behaviour alive and encourages more incidences
of this nature, as the perpetrators are made to be
heroes.
All of the above bystanders contribute to the
problem! In more and more instances, bystanders
are now also being investigated and will be held
accountable for their role in the event. Bystanders
also stand a good chance of being prosecuted.
The Trinitonian | 17