Natalia Rodriguez
Composition 1200
South University

Civic Responsibilities What makes a bystander different from a person who is committing a crime, or a person who is being victimized? Bystanders are very different because they can make the decision to either help a person in need, diffuse a situation, or completely stay out of it because they think it is what is best for them personally. Many have witnessed crimes and have done nothing to help the person who has all of a sudden become a victim. Would there be less crime in America if people actually stood up and did something? Would the people committing the crimes be less motivated to commit wrongdoing if they knew that the citizens around them are known to band together to keep their community safe? Getting involved does not mean getting into physical altercations with people who could potentially cause them serious harm and injury, but what it does mean is that one can become instrumental in keeping a situation under control. When there is trouble, bystanders have a civic responsibility to intervene. Crimes have frequently occurred in the presence of bystanders whom may have chosen not to take appropriate actions and do something, but rather have stood back and watched as the events unfolded. Some of these bystanders have chosen to ignore events entirely and be glad that whatever was going on “wasn’t happening to them,” or that whatever is going on is “none of their business.” Others have felt that getting involved would make them a target or that intervening could possibly make things worse. According to the Organization: Neighborhood Scout, a person living in Austin has 1 in 243 chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime and has a 1 in 19 chance of becoming a victim of a property crime. This Organization also states that, “Austin has a Crime Index of 5, with 100 being the safest.” What this is saying is that Austin is safer than 5% of all the cities in the US, which is not very reassuring for the people that live here. Citizens must realize that crime is, and will always be a serious problem, and that lack of action will only make the problem worse. Even if one is not directly stopping the crime being committed, by taking action and going to seek help, one is taking steps away from just being a bystander. By reporting a crime or suspicious activity to the police and encouraging others to do the same, one is already doing their part in reducing crime and making Austin a much safer place