[colmvp]

Indeed. I was in London with a group of people a few years back and saw a homeless man about to get beat up by another man in an alley. Everyone else ran away instead of calling the police. I'm no hero, but I just thought, if I were in that position surely I would want someone to give a damn.

[bowyakka]

Although .... When I lived in London I stopped a guy from beating up his girlfriend (he was, simply put beating her along the street). I had the girlfriend start attacking me with her stiletto :(

I am also reminded of this http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/04/ukcrime.features11

With all that said, whilst I might wade into a crazy situation; ignoring a situation is not some that I think is specific to china or a specific culture, but rather a failing of our innate social skills. There is a long list of research into the bystander effect (e..g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE5YwN4NW5o) where if it is out of the comfort zone for people the simply choose not to observe the event, why do you think that most emergency guides start with the line "Call 911, don't assume that someone else will because they assume you already have"

[e40]

Although .... When I lived in London I stopped a guy from beating up his girlfriend (he was, simply put beating her along the street). I had the girlfriend start attacking me with her stiletto

A friend in Amsterdam stopped a guy in the process of beating a woman on the street. He had to disable the guy (with a strike) to get him to stop. The woman promptly attacked my friend.

I think it's very common in domestic violence situations for the receiver to defend the aggressor.

[wintermuteblog]

Yes I have heard this too. Basically, the receiver is with their partner, for other reasons. And hence tend to downplay the significance of the violence.

[bowyakka]

I too had heard that, it makes me wonder how much goes unreported, undiscovered and unresolved :(