Ethics: What would you do? - Rape Board

Rankin · 09-06-2008, 07:41 PM

Here's a question that came to me when I was reading a story about a girl that was gang raped in a pool hall.

You're walking down a wooded path mid afternoon. You hear a woman's scream. You follow the noise and see a man ripping the clothes off a woman. It's obvious that he is going to rape her. The rapist does not have any weapon that you can see. No one else is around and if you just stayed where you are, you would not be seen by the rapist or the woman.

Do you:
1) Watch the rape happen
2) Run down and inturrupt the attack.

At first, I thought this is easy, I watch it happen. But by my inaction, I would cause a woman to be raped (it is not fantasy and not a paid actress). I asked a friend this and he joked about getting sloppy seconds, but then soberly said he would run down and stop the attack because that's what men do.

So what would you do?

Edited: I added the poll because I realized that based on the already submitted inputs, other may feel the need to also support option 2. Some may just want to use the poll

touriquet2001 · 09-06-2008, 07:45 PM

try to stop the attack , even if he had a weapon still try to stop it . your friend was right it's what men (and women) are supposed to do , it's the right thing to do . it's not a fantasy , it is real life .

Rankin · 09-06-2008, 07:51 PM

Touriquet, you stole my next question...how would the rapist having a weapon change things. BTW the one after that was would it change if there were other that were not doing anything but watching.

touriquet2001 · 09-06-2008, 07:53 PM

wouldn't change it much . it would still be the right thing to do . maybe shame somebody else into action also .

doggystylethatgirl · 09-06-2008, 08:31 PM

to me, seriously

My mind would be wondering in diffrent directions, my heart pounding knowing that it's real, not fake, not knowing whether to enjoy it or stop it.

Thats a tough situation to really be in.

I cannot vote either of these, cause to me thats a tough situation to choose from.
Maybe if you had a "don't know", thats what I would vote to be honest.

Stainless Steel Rat · 09-06-2008, 08:46 PM

Doggy has a good point to consider, there would be the remote possibility that it's simply a couple who think they're alone and out roleplaying. But that being said it's a dangerous game for them to play and a prudent course of action would be to treat the situation as real and act accordingly.

Mute your cell and dial 911 leaving the line open to give a GPS fix then using the cover as best as possible move to neutralize the assailant. Depending on the area you may be able to take him out without him ever knowing, armed or not is irrelevant at that case. The real danger of an armed assailant at that point would more likely be to the victim rather than the rescuer as the victim is right there close at hand.

Once you strike, if the victim asks what the hell you're doing then you can stop your thumping of the attacker, otherwise make sure they're incapacitated before you attempt to get the victim to safety.

Cheers from a sober Stainless Steel Rat

FinalKey · 09-06-2008, 09:46 PM

Stop the rape. It's real. It's not a fantasy like torq pointed out. Weapon or not, I'd hope someone did the same for a female friend or relative.

wiferape · 09-06-2008, 10:02 PM

To tell the truth, noone really knows what they would do in a situation like that until you find yourself there. I would like to think that I would call the police on my cell, then run down there and try to stop the rape.

touriquet2001 · 09-07-2008, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiferape

To tell the truth, noone really knows what they would do in a situation like that until you find yourself there. I would like to think that I would call the police on my cell, then run down there and try to stop the rape.

trying to stop the rape doesn't have to include putting yourself in danger , that is only one way to do it . that's why i said a weapon wouldn't change things . i think we all would like to hope (think) we would go charging to the rescue . but truthfully calling the cops , yelling at him , ect... are very real possibilities too . the important thing is trying to do the right thing .

~Angel~ · 09-07-2008, 02:52 AM

Well, to be honest... If I heard a real scream coming from down a dark alley, I would grab my cell and call 911. Then maybe I might try to see what was happening. Being a woman your options are a bit more limited.

I can give you a real example. I was the supervisor on the night shift. I had about 15 people on duty. I was on the second floor and heard a staff member scream from the parking lot. I raced down the stairs and thru the front door. There was one of my employees. An attractive girl about 20 at the time. Her boyfriend (they had recently broken up) had her pinned on the hood of her car. He had ripped off most of her shirt and held her head by the hair. He banging her head into the hood. He held a large knife to her throat and was really angry. He was threatening to kill her!

Just to scoot back a second... when I went, out into the parking lot a few other employees followed me, but stayed behind me near the locked doors. I quickly and quietly told one to go call 911.

Ok, back to the story. I said "stop" in an urgent tone to get his attention. I really believe he was going to kill her! He stopped but did not let her go. Without going into a bunch of details, we talked for about 10 minutes. It seemed like an hour. His first reaction was to threaten me with the knife as well... he was vicious. He slammed her head into the car a few more times and she was really bleeding by then. I kept talking and eventually he began to tell me his problems and began to calm down. I played the sympathetic friend. Again that went on about 10 minutes. Suddenly 2 police cars arrived. After a couple more moments, he dropped the knife and they cuffed him. A few more police cars showed up and they took him away.

The girl had collapsed onto the pavement next to the car. She was scared and prob in some degree of shock as well. The staff and I evaluated her, bandaged her, and got her something to cover up with. She was taken to the hospital by EMS. She had some bruises, lacerations and ended up with quite a few stitches. However, all in all, she escaped a dangerous situation.

During the situation I felt really strong. After everything was over, I want and cried in an empty room. I swear I shook for an hour. Then an officer took all of who had witnessed everything to the police station to take statements.

So yes, I would help, but would not put myself in a dangerous situation unless nothing else was an option. I have a young son who I would not want to leave alone.

Well, this took a bit out of me remembering all of this. I think I will bit you all a find farewell and go to bed.

*Waves to room*
~A~

theDarkOne · 09-07-2008, 03:07 AM

Beat the shit out of the guy!Thats not tough guy talk.I love rape fantasy/roleplay as much as the next guy/girl but i have a girlfriend and a sister and if anything happened to them i would kill the guy.I do some crazy stuff with my woman (roleplay,ect)but i would crush a guy who was doing it for real.

cerempet06 · 09-07-2008, 12:41 PM

Yup, even though i love to watch rape movies, but when it comes to the real life, i'll try to stop them and of course without putting my life in danger (call the police and shout to get noticed)

Ragman · 09-07-2008, 01:51 PM

Definitley do what i could to try and stop the attacker. I realize that is very easy to say to a hypothetical question, and face with the reality I may have difficulty pushing myself to do something that would endanger my life ( and thus the life of the victim as well) however, watching it in real life is NOT an option for me.. I would definitley be spurred to do something

Rankin · 09-07-2008, 02:30 PM

It's interesting that everyone here said they would try to stop the rape, but real life shows that a lot of people wouldn't stop. The pool hall rape that started this question (I think it was the inspiration for "The Accused" also) showed where everyone watched the rape happen and in some cases even cheered the rapists on. Also according to crime statistics, very few domestic abuse cases are not reported by neighbors. When asked, most people said they didn't want to get involved. Anyway, this topic didn't cause the debate that I thought it would. Does anyone know how to close a thread?

donnalee_s · 09-07-2008, 02:36 PM

I guess until faced with that situation, or any one that
involves doing something that endangers ones self, we
don't know what our reaction will be.
In the poll senario...a weapon would change any thinking.
A cell call for help best option.

Stainless Steel Rat · 09-07-2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rankin

It's interesting that everyone here said they would try to stop the rape, but real life shows that a lot of people wouldn't stop. The pool hall rape that started this question (I think it was the inspiration for "The Accused" also) showed where everyone watched the rape happen and in some cases even cheered the rapists on. Also according to crime statistics, very few domestic abuse cases are not reported by neighbors. When asked, most people said they didn't want to get involved. Anyway, this topic didn't cause the debate that I thought it would. Does anyone know how to close a thread?

Before you put the final nail in your thread keep in mind the huge difference between the rape you cited and the example you gave us. In a situation where an individual is alone to make their own choice their true inner nature will win over them and they will often make what would be called "the right choice". The rape you refer to in the pool hall is a classic case of "mob mentality" where ordinarily decent sane people will subvert their wills to the "will of the mob" and behave in a way often contrary to the nature. You see this happen in riots around the world on a regular basis. Looters who would never steal, rock throwers who would never hurt anyone, etc.. It takes a strong individual indeed to break from the mob mentality when the adrenalin begins flowing.

theDarkOne · 09-07-2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rankin

It's interesting that everyone here said they would try to stop the rape, but real life shows that a lot of people wouldn't stop. The pool hall rape that started this question (I think it was the inspiration for "The Accused" also) showed where everyone watched the rape happen and in some cases even cheered the rapists on. Also according to crime statistics, very few domestic abuse cases are not reported by neighbors. When asked, most people said they didn't want to get involved. Anyway, this topic didn't cause the debate that I thought it would. Does anyone know how to close a thread?

Thats ridiculous.Every part of that paragraph.Were you looking for people to jack off and cheer the guy on?

touriquet2001 · 09-07-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rankin

It's interesting that everyone here said they would try to stop the rape, but real life shows that a lot of people wouldn't stop. The pool hall rape that started this question (I think it was the inspiration for "The Accused" also) showed where everyone watched the rape happen and in some cases even cheered the rapists on. Also according to crime statistics, very few domestic abuse cases are not reported by neighbors. When asked, most people said they didn't want to get involved. Anyway, this topic didn't cause the debate that I thought it would. Does anyone know how to close a thread?

i'm sure some people would watch or try to join in . as for your examples ...

the accused : i don't know what really happened of course , but in the movie somebody did call the cops . but yeah the rest turned into a mob as has been pointed out . but somebody tried to do the right thing in it .

domestic abuse : that's a harder one , usually there is some grey area's . doesn't make it right and yes they should be reported . but usually it's neighbors that know the people involved . makes it hard to know what to do . is it just a fight ? yelling and screaming ? or are the sounds someone really being abused ie .. hit , beat on ? people as a whole have to get over that way of thinking .

also i think most of us are more attuned to rape and sexual violence because of our fantasy . and has been said i'm sure some visitors/members do get off on the thought of real rape , but you really didn't expect them to admit it or reply did you ?

Sierra · 09-07-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rankin

It's interesting that everyone here said they would try to stop the rape, but real life shows that a lot of people wouldn't stop. The pool hall rape that started this question (I think it was the inspiration for "The Accused" also) showed where everyone watched the rape happen and in some cases even cheered the rapists on. Also according to crime statistics, very few domestic abuse cases are not reported by neighbors. When asked, most people said they didn't want to get involved. Anyway, this topic didn't cause the debate that I thought it would. Does anyone know how to close a thread?

It came as a shock to me when I first came here to discover that most of the men here are more protective and more strongly against rape than the average population. My guess is that the people here KNOW the difference between an exciting fantasy and a crime. The ones you need to watch out for are the ones who are not indulging in fantasy...they're the ones having a problem separating the two.

FinalKey · 09-07-2008, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sierra

It came as a shock to me when I first came here to discover that most of the men here are more protective and more strongly against rape than the average population. My guess is that the people here KNOW the difference between an exciting fantasy and a crime. The ones you need to watch out for are the ones who are not indulging in fantasy...they're the ones having a problem separating the two.

yup. *nibbles on Sierra*

View Poll Results: What would you do?
Watch the rape	0	0%
Run down and try to stop the rape	24	100.00%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll

09-06-2008, 07:41 PM	#1
Rankin Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 119 Reputation: 293	Ethics: What would you do? Here's a question that came to me when I was reading a story about a girl that was gang raped in a pool hall. You're walking down a wooded path mid afternoon. You hear a woman's scream. You follow the noise and see a man ripping the clothes off a woman. It's obvious that he is going to rape her. The rapist does not have any weapon that you can see. No one else is around and if you just stayed where you are, you would not be seen by the rapist or the woman. Do you: 1) Watch the rape happen 2) Run down and inturrupt the attack. At first, I thought this is easy, I watch it happen. But by my inaction, I would cause a woman to be raped (it is not fantasy and not a paid actress). I asked a friend this and he joked about getting sloppy seconds, but then soberly said he would run down and stop the attack because that's what men do. So what would you do? Edited: I added the poll because I realized that based on the already submitted inputs, other may feel the need to also support option 2. Some may just want to use the poll Last edited by Rankin; 09-06-2008 at 08:29 PM. Reason: added poll options

09-06-2008, 08:31 PM	#5
doggystylethatgirl Banned Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,113 Reputation: 27657	to me, seriously My mind would be wondering in diffrent directions, my heart pounding knowing that it's real, not fake, not knowing whether to enjoy it or stop it. Thats a tough situation to really be in. I cannot vote either of these, cause to me thats a tough situation to choose from. Maybe if you had a "don't know", thats what I would vote to be honest. Last edited by doggystylethatgirl; 09-06-2008 at 08:56 PM.

09-06-2008, 08:46 PM	#6
Stainless Steel Rat Lord of the Labyrinth Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The Center of the Maze Posts: 397 Reputation: 68922	Doggy has a good point to consider, there would be the remote possibility that it's simply a couple who think they're alone and out roleplaying. But that being said it's a dangerous game for them to play and a prudent course of action would be to treat the situation as real and act accordingly. Mute your cell and dial 911 leaving the line open to give a GPS fix then using the cover as best as possible move to neutralize the assailant. Depending on the area you may be able to take him out without him ever knowing, armed or not is irrelevant at that case. The real danger of an armed assailant at that point would more likely be to the victim rather than the rescuer as the victim is right there close at hand. Once you strike, if the victim asks what the hell you're doing then you can stop your thumping of the attacker, otherwise make sure they're incapacitated before you attempt to get the victim to safety. Cheers from a sober Stainless Steel Rat __________________ "The lost souls of the Labyrinth"

09-07-2008, 02:52 AM	#10
~Angel~ Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 57 Reputation: 169	Well, to be honest... If I heard a real scream coming from down a dark alley, I would grab my cell and call 911. Then maybe I might try to see what was happening. Being a woman your options are a bit more limited. I can give you a real example. I was the supervisor on the night shift. I had about 15 people on duty. I was on the second floor and heard a staff member scream from the parking lot. I raced down the stairs and thru the front door. There was one of my employees. An attractive girl about 20 at the time. Her boyfriend (they had recently broken up) had her pinned on the hood of her car. He had ripped off most of her shirt and held her head by the hair. He banging her head into the hood. He held a large knife to her throat and was really angry. He was threatening to kill her! Just to scoot back a second... when I went, out into the parking lot a few other employees followed me, but stayed behind me near the locked doors. I quickly and quietly told one to go call 911. Ok, back to the story. I said "stop" in an urgent tone to get his attention. I really believe he was going to kill her! He stopped but did not let her go. Without going into a bunch of details, we talked for about 10 minutes. It seemed like an hour. His first reaction was to threaten me with the knife as well... he was vicious. He slammed her head into the car a few more times and she was really bleeding by then. I kept talking and eventually he began to tell me his problems and began to calm down. I played the sympathetic friend. Again that went on about 10 minutes. Suddenly 2 police cars arrived. After a couple more moments, he dropped the knife and they cuffed him. A few more police cars showed up and they took him away. The girl had collapsed onto the pavement next to the car. She was scared and prob in some degree of shock as well. The staff and I evaluated her, bandaged her, and got her something to cover up with. She was taken to the hospital by EMS. She had some bruises, lacerations and ended up with quite a few stitches. However, all in all, she escaped a dangerous situation. During the situation I felt really strong. After everything was over, I want and cried in an empty room. I swear I shook for an hour. Then an officer took all of who had witnessed everything to the police station to take statements. So yes, I would help, but would not put myself in a dangerous situation unless nothing else was an option. I have a young son who I would not want to leave alone. Well, this took a bit out of me remembering all of this. I think I will bit you all a find farewell and go to bed. Waves to room ~A~ __________________ *~Naughty Angel~*

09-06-2008, 07:45 PM	#2
touriquet2001 please delete Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3,805 Reputation: 35886	try to stop the attack , even if he had a weapon still try to stop it . your friend was right it's what men (and women) are supposed to do , it's the right thing to do . it's not a fantasy , it is real life .

09-06-2008, 07:51 PM	#3
Rankin Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 119 Reputation: 293	Touriquet, you stole my next question...how would the rapist having a weapon change things. BTW the one after that was would it change if there were other that were not doing anything but watching.

09-06-2008, 07:53 PM	#4
touriquet2001 please delete Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3,805 Reputation: 35886	wouldn't change it much . it would still be the right thing to do . maybe shame somebody else into action also .

09-06-2008, 09:46 PM	#7
FinalKey Key Master Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 677 Reputation: 4792	Stop the rape. It's real. It's not a fantasy like torq pointed out. Weapon or not, I'd hope someone did the same for a female friend or relative.

09-06-2008, 10:02 PM	#8
wiferape Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 20 Reputation: 14	To tell the truth, noone really knows what they would do in a situation like that until you find yourself there. I would like to think that I would call the police on my cell, then run down there and try to stop the rape.

09-07-2008, 03:07 AM	#11
theDarkOne Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Never gonna give you up,Never gonna let you down,Never gonna run around and desert you. Posts: 1,693 Reputation: 57368	Beat the shit out of the guy!Thats not tough guy talk.I love rape fantasy/roleplay as much as the next guy/girl but i have a girlfriend and a sister and if anything happened to them i would kill the guy.I do some crazy stuff with my woman (roleplay,ect)but i would crush a guy who was doing it for real.

09-07-2008, 12:41 PM	#12
cerempet06 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 57 Reputation: 84	Yup, even though i love to watch rape movies, but when it comes to the real life, i'll try to stop them and of course without putting my life in danger (call the police and shout to get noticed)

09-07-2008, 01:51 PM	#13
Ragman Privileged Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: an alley near you Posts: 2,226 Reputation: 5535	Definitley do what i could to try and stop the attacker. I realize that is very easy to say to a hypothetical question, and face with the reality I may have difficulty pushing myself to do something that would endanger my life ( and thus the life of the victim as well) however, watching it in real life is NOT an option for me.. I would definitley be spurred to do something __________________ "Aww He's just a silly, dirty little man. What's to be afraid of ?" 2

09-07-2008, 02:30 PM	#14
Rankin Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 119 Reputation: 293	It's interesting that everyone here said they would try to stop the rape, but real life shows that a lot of people wouldn't stop. The pool hall rape that started this question (I think it was the inspiration for "The Accused" also) showed where everyone watched the rape happen and in some cases even cheered the rapists on. Also according to crime statistics, very few domestic abuse cases are not reported by neighbors. When asked, most people said they didn't want to get involved. Anyway, this topic didn't cause the debate that I thought it would. Does anyone know how to close a thread?

09-07-2008, 02:36 PM	#15
donnalee_s almost gone Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 9,377 Reputation: 33747	I guess until faced with that situation, or any one that involves doing something that endangers ones self, we don't know what our reaction will be. In the poll senario...a weapon would change any thinking. A cell call for help best option.