Going to the aid of others

Third-Party Intervention

Third-party intervention is a complicated scenario, voluntarily entering into a physical confrontation that may not initially concern you, to which you have not been invited and which could have very serious consequences for all concerned, is not always an easy decision to make. There are so many varying factors to consider.?

Unfortunately many enter into confrontational situations as a third party without ever considering any of the possible outcomes. It is far too often a knee jerk reaction to something they have witnessed that does not, for whatever reason sit right, with them.

I have been known to enter into such scenarios on far too many occasions. It is in my nature and often a condition of my employment,, I do not like bullies or bullying of any sort and I have in the past, paid dearly for trying to do what I believed to be the right thing at the time. Not vanity, ego driven decisions, I would like to believe from my perspective at least none of them were, but that is not always how others with the benefit of hindsight will see things.

So, should we intervene as a third party? YES or NO!

Even when we don’t have all the facts? YES or NO!

When I was a first responder student, way back when, my instructor after days of teaching us all the “necessary” skills, then came up with a bombshell on the last day of the course. After all training was completed, after all tests and examinations passed or failed, he left us all seated, mouths open waiting for the punchline. There was no punch line, he was deadly serious, NO JOKE!

This is what he said.

“Never attend to a patient if there is someone else there willing to do so”.?

What?!!!

How can you even think such a thing? Isn't that what we have been doing all this training and preparation for? He qualified his statement with this “My advice to you is to ask all present if anyone knows how to do first aid, and then ask them what they would like you to do to assist them”. His reasoning was the attitude at the time, and which I believe is now worse, the “compensation culture” of denouncing anyone involved with the intention of getting a financial payout.

Why is that important to this piece??

Well, I have ever since then taught my students the same thing, or something similar at least. I tell my students to try and invoke empathy in bystanders to try to get someone else to take charge and then assist them in their actions. Not always to replace my students in any action that may be necessary but at least to support them. When push comes to shove, what the witnesses say to the police after any incident can prove to be very important, and if they are all saying that they agreed with your actions in the circumstances then things could go a lot better for you, should legal action be taken against you.

There is a second motive for instilling this mindset into my students and that is because the act of seeking moral support, the conviction of others, makes you more attentive to all that’s going on around you and all that is going on inside your head. It gives you the perspective of others and may clarify your decision to act or not. It forces you to look at your motives and to question your reason for entering into this situation and you may well decide that it is not the best idea at the moment.

So we don’t want to enter into disputes as a third party unless we know what exactly is going on around us. Taking the time to collaborate with others, as well as giving you moral support, helps you identify who the spectators to this event are, and possibly why. You don’t want to find you have just pushed past the aggressor's best friend as he jumps on your back, wouldn’t it be a better idea to identify what is going on first?

All too often, the person who at first appears to be the aggressor is another good samaritan. Just because he appears to be giving someone a “jolly good talking to”, doesn’t necessarily mean he was in the wrong, he may just be aware of something you are not! Ever thought about that? He may have just come to the rescue of a targeted person half a minute before you, finally getting the better of the situation only to find you taking that advantage away from him, and leaving you both entangled whilst the bad guy, at best runs away and at worst turn his violent intent, and possibly his weapon, against you!

If you weren’t there at the start you might not want to be there at the finish…Just saying!

If your job is intervention it's completely different, Isn’t it? You would be well advised to abide by the same guidelines I have already mentioned above even if it is your job to intervene. Firemen seldom run into blazing buildings without first having taken stock of the situation. If no witnesses confirm categorically that someone is trapped inside they may not enter the building until the fire is completely extinguished.?

Assessing the situation completely is always the best-case scenario, but it may not, however, be an option open to you.

Action beats reaction and any action is often better than none!

There may be no bystanders to coerce to help you or at least support you. There may be no witnesses to tell you what has gone on prior to your arrival. The scene unfolding in front of you may leave you morally obliged to intervene, regardless of the consequences. And in such situations, you must be prepared to do the minimal possible to get the most beneficial response/result, in that situation.?

In class I might suggest various scenarios, a man beating a woman, a man beating an older man, a woman beating a child, two women fighting, someone using deadly force, that is to say, using a weapon, if no one intervenes someone will die, two or three against one. There are too many to go through in a blog post, some could be dealt with individually and maybe I will at a later date but not here and not now. For today it will be enough to know you understand the complexities.

There are no Black and White, no Yes and No scenarios, there are no guaranteed outcomes that are favourable to you so only you can decide if you should intervene or not. And, that decision should be based on your understanding of the situation unfolding in front of you in the moment, based on your prior experience, training, and practice, based on discussion and debates with team-mates, family members, subject matter experts and your understanding of current third party intervention legislation.

Wait there's more! What do you get out of helping someone, unrelated and unknown to you, what are the Pros and Cons. Should this even be a question?

Unfortunately, there is very little that is favourable to you that will come from third-party intervention. There are seldom medals awarded, there is seldom recognition in the press, and there are seldom financial incentives. There is nothing in it for you except the knowledge that you did the right thing, based on the information at hand. Is that good enough?

You see on the downside you risk;

Personal injury, death, imprisonment, judicial proceedings, bankruptcy, losing your home and family to long drawn out costly legal battles, excommunication from your social group. You risk repercussions from friends and family of the original protagonists, abuse and attacks against your friends and family members, and I am sure much more, that could all be avoided if you just turned a blind eye and walked away, minding your own business.

Third-party intervention into a violent confrontation or physical assault, into a crime in progress. Should we intervene? It is not an easy answer to give. I am often heard saying “Don’t do as I do do as I say”! The reason for that is that I am not one to stand by. I genuinely believe that my previous study and training in violence gives me a unique perspective and I will not stand by and see someone abused if I believe it is within my power to correct that situation. I am in no way talking about retribution here. My single desire is to stop the altercation with the minimum amount of force necessary to do so, and with faith that my prior training and lifes experiences have advised me correctly of the threats and dangers I face.

Does that mean that I think you should intervene? NO, it does not!

You should only get involved in third-party altercations when you have the support on hand to seriously influence the outcome in your favour. Having good communication skills, the ability to talk to others in such a way as to coerce their support and possibly their action in support of your actions is about as good as you can hope for. if you have not lived a violent life.

When violence happens things change very quickly, what seemed like a manageable situation is now a fight for life and death. Don’t ever get involved on a whim, don’t get involved as an egotistical act or for bravado. Intervene only when you have all the facts and understand the consequences of your actions.

Yesterday I was sent some footage of a kidnap attempt on a young woman snatched on the fourth floor of her apartment block when she returned home from walking her dogs.

Her mother fought the six-foot-something 230lb assailant down all four flights of stairs shouting for help. She had her shoulder dislocated and a smashed orbital socket, but even so kept fighting. Unfortunately, she failed to rescue her daughter, a neighbour came out of their apartment to help, whilst letting the two women in,? but was badly beaten and the assailant managed to get into the apartment the two women had taken refuge in and drag out the young woman by her hair.

The mother continued her pursuit until another neighbour on the ground floor came out. He proceeded to beat the assailant to the ground, freeing the young woman. The man managed to restrain the assailant and subdue him until police arrived. Luckily there were enough witnesses to the altercation to show that the male neighbour had done only what was necessary and the police left after a brief questioning.

That is not always the case.

The life, the fate of that young lady would have changed substantially, irreparably had this third party man not intervened. When interviewed he said, no problem, I would expect someone to help out if it was my daughter!

We all would!

Third-party intervention is a complicated issue.? This decision is yours and only yours to make. Be sure you have all the information and preparative training necessary to make the right decision.

It could be a life-changing decision, make sure it changes lives for the right reasons.

Would you like help in preparing for the rare occasion when real violence could enter your life, or to better prepare for any natural, but uninvited and unexpected life-threatening event, maybe you would like to know how to develop a 'Personal Protection Plan' for yourself, or your family group or the work environment, if so feel free to reach out.

We provide Governmental, professional, and civilian security and protection training in Spain and Latin America. Options are available to those who wish to increase their security and safety, the safety of their loved ones, staff, and clients, or who wish to advance their careers in the Close Protection Industry with professional, no-nonsense skill sets.

I also teach private online classes, and I teach in-person; private, family, and group classes in Cádiz province in Spain. The subject matter I cover includes, but is not limited to: My D.A.D.A. program. Detect, Avoid, Distract, Attack (CQC). The psychology of violence; Situational awareness and avoiding problematic situations; People profiling for your personal safety; Situational control and tactical conversation; Physical solutions for violent situations; Home security and protection solutions.

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