Have you ever been in this scenario?
? You are sitting in your apartment and working. You hear a scream from your neighbour, followed by some yelling. You can sense that something is wrong, but you just don?t know what to do.
? You see some stranger being stalked and harassed on the road or in public. You are standing helpless.
In many cases we know when someone is suffering, either because of abuse, or because of an accident or some severe illness and we feel like there is nothing we can do.
Fortunately, there is something that we can do as bystanders, follow any of the 3D?s of Bystander intervention:
1. Distract: Approach the neighbour?s house in the disguise of asking onions or milk or paper. This will help you distract and assess the situation of their home and dissipate the tension. Distract the harasser or victim by asking for directions or act like you are a friend of the victim and escort the victim to safety.
2. Direct: Directly intervene and question on the yelling and if any help is required. And sensitizing on how violence or harassing is a crime.
3. Delegate: When you don?t want to do either. Assess the situation and escalate the problem to the right people/Authorities who can do the above.
More often than not, when we witness a situation where someone is experiencing some form of extreme distress, we are honestly at a loss of words and have no idea what to do.
In fact, more than 80% of people do not even know the contact number for the police or emergency medical services.
It is extremely crucial and imperative that we be aware of the Emergency Contact Channels and know the proper way of accessing them.
The next time we hear a neighbor screaming because of domestic abuse or harassment, take a stand and reach out the concerned authorities.
Remember the number of the police and ambulance services in your locality or nation. Some day (God forbid), you might need these numbers for yourself or a loved one, and having them in hand will help nip the bud in the nick of time.
Ignoring Abuse and Distress is never the right thing to do. Each and every one among us, should stand up for our fellow humans.
Helpline Numbers For Domestic Violence/ Intimate Partner Violence
Image Source: https://twitter.com/inbreakthrough/status/1247901359975743488
At workplace, a lot of organizations provide additional support, paid leaves, counselling services or legal aid for employees going through domestic violence. It calls for a collective support and awareness against domestic violence.
