# Young Kids getting Bullied on the Bike Trail, what to do?



## Rhymenocerus (Jul 17, 2010)

So riding to and from my workout I go passed a Middle School and a High School. Last ride out I was coming home and noticed 3 kids on the trail and it looked like 2 of them were bullying 1 other one, these kids looked to be Middle School age. My first reaction was to stop and intervene immediately, but then my "what if" side of my brain started kicking in.

I started thinking about getting sued for touching a minor, what if the kids started attacking me and I had to fend them off, etc. In the eyes of our joke of a legal system I would be at fault for most outcomes of that situation. So I kept riding 

I feel horrible, but Im just a college kid trying to keep my head above water and I cant afford to get sued by some Rich Bully's Parents.

What should I have done?


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Tough call. Perhaps stopping and watching would have been enough to pacify the situation, but it wouldn't stop it from happening again. Maybe you could call the Middle School and give them as many details as you can remember?


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Just stop and watch and get your phone out and take a video if you can.

If they did come after you, it will show. If there ends up being a problem, you have something to give to the middle school.

Your assessment of not touching a minor is good here in CA. One could get labeled a sex offender now a days because they didnt ride by the school fast enough on their bike.


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## balzaccom (Oct 11, 2006)

I've coached kids that age many times...and I've never had to do anything but tell them to knock it off. Usually I would just stop and ask them what's going on. Lots of embarrassed looks, and everybody goes away. 

And a photo is a great idea, to show the school and their parents. 

Don't touch them, and if the situation escalates, back off, leave the scene, and call the cops. 

THis is a lousy situation, but as a grown up, you have an obligation to at least say something.


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## Rhymenocerus (Jul 17, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys, sounds like the best solution is to at least inform the school if I see something going on again.

What a cruddy situation our legal system puts us in, we cant even defend a young kid getting bullied without fear of legal repercussions.


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## Gee3 (Jan 31, 2006)

You should have at least said something in passing like "knock it off". 

By doing nothing you are basically condoning the bullying. You needed to intervene. At the very least call both schools. If it were high school kids bullying a grade school kid then both schools need to know.

Here are some interesting things I found:

The Law:
In the state of California there is no general duty on a person who witnesses a crime to report it. The exception to this rule is that people are legally obligated to report a murder or a violent or sexual assault that is committed against a child under the age of 14 years. 

The Bystander Effect:
The Bystander Effect is a phenomenon that sometimes occurs when a crime is committed in front of innocent witnesses. The theory postulates that the more people that are present, the less an individual thinks that he or she needs to intervene or call for help.

These people rationalize or assume that someone else will render assistance. As well, the presence of many people not doing anything to assist the victim makes people feel that no assistance is really required. After all, if an intervention was really necessary, others would be helping. There have been some high-profile occasions of where this Bystander Effect has been observed.


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