How is this possible?

jilybeans4

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/28/california.gang.rape.bystander/index.htmlThis story makes me angry and want to cry. I can't believe that if I witnessed something like this, I wouldn't immediately call the police. I know the bystander effect is a real thing, but I just can't understand it.

bbyckes

I know, right.  It's terrible.  I don't understand the mentality at all.  What a horrible and traumatizing experience for this young girl.

Nebb

The only thing I can think of is that they all knew the girl and there were some unknown circumstances leading them to believe she "deserved" it. Thats not right, but its the only explanation I can come up for it in my head.

jamm2019

That is just disgusting...If that was my daughter I would be on a war path.  Anyone involved, or who saw this happening is an accessory to the crime...

AlexiaANDRobert

This un-fuucking-believable.  I DO NOT understand how things like this happen. It reminds me of the old (er) man that was hit by a car and other cars just drove around him and a biker went around him and people came up and looked at him and walked away... this went on for several minutes before someone called the police. What is wrong with people?And:I know the bystander effect is a real thing, but I just can't understand it.I don't understand how this is even possible for more than a minute.  They said the rape went on for TWO HOURS?!?!?  I don't think you can be stunned for that long.

J&K10910

The article said people were laughing and taking pictures.  IMO, it's possible these bystanders were friends of the people doing the beating and raping.  If that's true, it makes perfect sense in my head that no one called the police.  Not to say I wouldn't.  I absolutely would turn in my friends (or my family) if I witnessed something like this, but a lot of people would not.

baystateapple

The guy in the article saying "I didn't want to be a part of it" (although I believe it was regarding the woman who had been murdered) blows me away.If you witness something terrible happening, you are already involved.  Personally, I'd rather be involved as someone trying to help (or at least calling or running for help) than be involved as a heartless rubbernecker.

sarah0725

This is why I call the police every time I see a car accident, disabled car on the side of the road, suspicious event, etc. It's important to be there for your fellow humans.

vallyhoo

Yet another reason I hate people.

ck9586

Ever since I heard about this yesterday I've been trying to figure out what's happened to us as a people that no one called police or even tried to help. It makes me nauseous. If THAT many people  blew it off, I'd have  to think they're in the majority. Which not only makes me sick,  but scared as well. That law needs to change to ALL crimes, not just those committed to 14 and under.

goheels05

Maybe they thought that what they were seeing was consensual.  It would be hard for the girl to scream for 2 straight hours, or she could have been drunk/drugged.  We weren't there, so we don't know.  The reason that pops into my head is that when I was a freshman in high school, there was a rumor about a girl who had graduated the year before, and how she had had sex with 17 guys in one night.  At the time, I thought, "wow, what a slut," but since being out of high school, I've always wondered if it were true, and if so, was it rape.  I know drugs and alcohol were involved.

AlexiaANDRobert

I also wonder if it has anything to do with the things people are exposed to at such a young age. My parents were always fairly strict with what we were allowed to watch on tv and who we were allowed to hang out with. To this day, my Dad still makes a comment if we're watching something "trashy" on tv.  His logic, and what he tells us is that the more you watch something, the more "normal" it becomes and you stop questioning it or start to accept it.

J&K10910

Heels, I think she was drunk.  I read in a different article that she had consumed a lot of alcohol.  The way they worded it led me to believe she was only semi conscious.

SarahSmile23

heels, from what i understand, the girl WAS drunk and was semi-conscious when the cops intervened.

AlexiaANDRobert

Maybe they thought that what they were seeing was consensual. It would be hard for the girl to scream for 2 straight hours, or she could have been drunk/drugged. We weren't there, so we don't know. VERY good point.I saw a girl in a club downtown one night and she could BARELY stand up.  One of her heels was missing, one of her bare boobs kept falling out of her top and she was stumbling and slurring.  The guy she was with pulled her behind a little curtained area and they were actually having sex right there... my sisters and I found a bouncer to let him know... it could've been her boyfriend or something, but the whole situation seemed way wrong.

SarahSmile23

J&K and i share a brain.

bbyckes

There is nothing normal about this.  No matter what your upbringing or how much TV you've consumed.

J&K10910

Apparently we do, Sarah!  Now, if we could share a body too ;)Oh goodness, is this going to devolve into a "porn creates sex offenders" discussion?  Because if it is, I'm going to sign of TK right now.

AlexiaANDRobert

Oh goodness, is this going to devolve into a "porn creates sex offenders" discussion? Because if it is, I'm going to sign of TK right now.Oh jees, that's not where I was going with this AT ALL!  Hopefully no one takes it that way...

J&K10910

I know that's not what you meant, but I could see it very easily going down that path!  Sorry.

SwedishChick2011

This really angers and scares me.  I mean, you think you'd be somewhat safe from being attacked in broad daylight because there would be people around to discourage an attack, intervene, or call the police.  I guess you can't really rely on that.

Pirata13

Saw this yesterday, totally disgusting.  The original article I saw said they believe she knew one of the boys who used to go to school there. So likely she was drinking with a few boys then things took an ugly turn. And avalanched from there.  Poor thing.  It really is depressing what this world is coming to.

tidetravel

From what I gathered, the school isn't in the greatest of areas, either.  In those types of places, people try to avoid the police like the plague, even if (sometimes especially if) something criminal is involved.  If it was gang-related, those witnesses could have reason to fear for their own safety.

ac_in_dc

Maybe they thought that what they were seeing was consensual. It would be hard for the girl to scream for 2 straight hours, or she could have been drunk/drugged. We weren't there, so we don't know. This seems totally plausible, and really scary. The way adolescents (and adults) perceive women, and sex, and the whole "she's a slut" mentality could really warp what people were seeing/thinking. Combine this with the whole genovese syndrome and you have a recipe for disaster.Crazy, but what scared me the most when I read this article was that my own son or daughter wouldn't have the moral courage (or whatever it takes) to do the right thing in a situation like this. I wonder how you can raise a kid to go against the crowd and still be a generally OK functioning member of society? Sorry to get all philosophical...