Step in or stay silent?
REAL-LIFE stories of fellow Malaysians helping each other out in tight spots are often celebrated when they make the news.

Recently, Johorean Choo Ngiam Choong found himself in the spotlight when his “spur-of-the-moment” rescue effort made the rounds on social media.

A video shows Choo courageously jumping into a drain to save a woman clinging to the back of a partially submerged car that was being carried away by the current.

During the Jan 7 incident in Kota Tinggi, Choo was on his way to have breakfast with his friends when they came across the car that had been swept into the drain. Following this, Choo received an award from the Johor police for his heroic act.

In light of praises for such acts, two participants of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team share their views on when one should step in to effect a positive outcome. For updates on the BRATs programme, visit facebook.com/niebrats.

The wisest decision

A CHILD falls onto the road. An elderly man has a heart attack. A public fight escalates. In such situations, do you step in?

For me, the answer used to be obvious: stand up to injustice, speak up for what is right. Perhaps it was the vast influence of superheroes in my favourite cartoons, or merely an innate moral conscience, but I viewed bystanders as always lacking in courage and character.

Yet as I grew older, I started to learn that reality, unlike animated shows, may not be as clear-cut.

Certainly, advocating for public interests and working towards the common good is a preferable course of action, but there are circumstances where playing the role of a bystander is more appropriate.

It is important that we evaluate the potential repercussions of our intervention on ourselves, the stakeholders involved, and the situation at hand.

If the results of our direct actions are unfavourable, it may be wiser to remain bystanders. This approach also allows the parties involved the autonomy to resolve the conflict naturally. Not every situation calls for a hero.

Without a complete understanding of the situation at hand, there is a risk of aggravating the circumstances or worse, steering the predicament to the point of no return.

Furthermore, to the parties involved, your well-intentioned intervention can be perceived as annoying and meddling, or invasive and disrespectful.

That said, we may easily find ourselves compelled to be bystanders for the wrong reasons.

Is our inaction stemming from fear of public condemnation? Or do we choose public apathy to avoid inconveniencing ourselves?

Flawed intentions should not underlie our inaction. While self-preservation matters, it should not be the pretext for withdrawing help in every circumstance.

Even if we lack the necessary skills to mitigate the crisis, such as providing medical care, there are alternative ways to assist.

Moreover, we are confronted by the perennial, timeless adage: “if not me, then who?”

If society were solely comprised of onlookers with no upstanders, hope for growth and positive change in the world would dwindle.

By choosing to be upstanders, we advocate for a better world, one intervention at a time.

We leverage our confidence, courage and wisdom to alleviate the sufferings of others, fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone.

Making the leap from being bystanders to upstanders transforms our silence into meaningful actions that empower our community.

Being upstanders is not entirely altruistic; when we intervene, we are fighting for our own perceived values.

For instance, if we believe in compassion and respect, we demonstrate these beliefs by combating bullying and mistreatment of others.

Not only does it boost our self-fulfilment, but actively advocating for our intrinsic moral principles through our actions can also imbue our lives with purpose, direction and drive.

Unfortunately, the prevailing norm sees many people remaining as spectators, and not for the right reasons.

This has led to the neglect of individual victims and marginalised groups who desperately need external support. Their plights are prolonged with each passing moment of inaction.

Perhaps we should promote the idea of being an active bystander.

While upstanders confront the root cause of an injustice or harm head-on, active bystanders focus on assisting the victims.

In both roles, there is a proactive effort to improve the situation. This approach could introduce others to the idea of lending a helping hand without feeling the intimidation of the responsibility and potential backlash of standing up against the perpetrators.

I am a firm believer that every situation should be approached on a case-by-case basis. It’s esssential to think before you act.

The moral complexity of our real world extends beyond the black-and-white dynamics of typical hero-villian scenarios portrayed in television shows.

Whether you find yourself as an upstander, bystander, or somewhere in between the two ends of the spectrum, do it for the right reasons, rather than opting for what is easy.

This is not only the wisest decision, but the most virtuous choice. – By CHUA SHE JIA, 20, Singapore

A vital skill

PICTURE this: You witness an accident between two vehicles and one of the drivers is seriously injured. What do you do?

It is most likely that the first answer that pops into your mind is to help the motorist. But the truth is, you would probably just watch the entire situation unfold or even worse, walk away.

The phenomenon where a large group of people witness an emergency situation and avoid helping the person in need is known as the bystander effect.

Bystanders are often afraid of retaliation and avoid being the centre of attention. Most people don’t realise that by doing nothing, the bystander is negatively contributing to the situation.

Learning how to intervene and recognising when someone needs help is a vital skill. Yes, it can be very daunting but learn to offer help when it is needed.

An upstander is someone who takes action and does their best to help in an emergency situation.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if someone is in danger. Observe the situation carefully and decide if the victim needs help or not. Don’t let the people around you stop you from offering help.

Don’t wait for others to take action. If everyone thinks the same way as you do, who will then take responsibility?

Have the courage to be the first to offer help before it’s too late.

If you’re too afraid to be an upstander, at least be an active bystander. Instead of ignoring the situation, an active bystander is aware of the problem at hand and chooses to remedy it.

For instance, in a bullying situation, an active bystander may give a disapproving look or report the incident to a teacher, taking actions to indirectly improve the situation.

An active bystander can be a pillar of support to the victim. Let the victim know that you’re there for them. They’re already feeling miserable, so even the smallest emotional support means a lot to them. If you don’t feel comfortable providing verbal support, at least be by their side physically. This way, they will feel more confident and reassured that someone has their back.

If you feel like it’s too much to handle the situation by yourself, seek help from someone else. Work together with them to address the situation. It can be a friend or any trusted adult, such as a teacher, parent or school counsellor.

Every emergency situation varies in terms of how to help improve it. Ensure you choose the option that suits you best. What’s important is that you’re doing something to address the situation – something is better than nothing.

If you’re courageous enough to directly help the victim, go for it! But do ensure there are others around who will be able to assist if things get out of hand.

Remain calm and avoid aggravating the situation. In a bullying incident, distract the perpetrator to allow the victim to move to safety. Call out the negative behaviour and ask the perpetrator to stop.

If upstanders are confident enough to take effective action to support and help the victim, there is a high possibility that the situation will end positively.

If the bystander effect reduces, we can shift the boundaries of what is considered acceptable by our society.

It is really up to us to be the change we want to see. – By NIEHA MITRALLINI, 21, Melaka

With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following english language activities.

1.Identify three situations in today’s newspaper where the help of an active bystander or upstander could have positively impacted those involved. Share and discuss these examples in a show-and-tell session with your friends.

2. do you tend to be more of an upstander or a bystander? Imagine yourself in one of the incidents mentioned above. What would you say about your role to a reporter present to report the incident? role-play the scenario with a friend.

The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes the use of English language in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
BRATs,Star-NiE,bystander effect,upstander
REAL-LIFE stories of fellow Malaysians helping each other out in tight spots are often celebrated when they make the news.