'Ambition gap': Why most people believe they'd step in to stop hate - but don't

While most people say they would take action if they witnessed hate or harassment, many choose not to intervene in the moment. Credit: Getty Images/SBS

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Aaron says he made a "snap decision" to intervene when he witnessed racism. But many people say they don't know what to do if they see hate or harassment.

When Aaron Teo witnessed a racist and violent attack against an Asian man, he intervened.

"The immediate concern was to de-escalate and put some sort of physical distance between the aggressor and the victim. Thankfully after stepping in, there were a few other people who gathered around and helped to stand in the way of the perpetrator,” he said.

Most people imagine they would do the same, but research says otherwise.

Professor Kevin Dunn from Western Sydney University is an expert on bystander action. He said there's a gap between people's ambitions and their actual actions.

"When you ask people in surveys whether they would take action, it's in the 70 percent, high 60s. You ask the same people if they've ever taken any such action, then you get ... below 30 percent.”

People often don’t intervene due to a fear of becoming a target themselves, lack of knowledge about what to do and lack of certainty about whether the event is racist.

Professor Dunn said the gap between our ambition and our actions is "untapped potential that is out there for us to leverage for anti-racist purposes, if we can get people to understand ... the different forms of action they can take".

This episode of Understanding Hate looks at how we can safely step in if we witness harassment or hate.

Transcript

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SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia.

Nic

Have you ever witnessed harassment or hate? Did you speak up, or stand back? It can be hard to know just how to respond in the moment. How can you support someone being targeted, without escalating the situation or putting yourself in danger? From SBS Examines, I’m Nic Zoumboulis. And in this episode of Understanding Hate, we’re asking - when should we step in?

Aaron Teo

I was driving home and pulling up to the traffic lights. Lights were red, and I saw this Asian cyclist beside a car, and I could see that there was a bit of an exchange happening. And the exchange just generally escalated quite rapidly. The driver, a white male, exited quite aggressively from the car.

Nic

After the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aaron Teo witnessed a racist attack in public.

Aaron Teo

There were blows starting to land and the sort of commentary, it was along racialised lines. So it was almost a snap decision to intervene. The immediate concern was to deescalate and put some sort of physical distance between the aggressor and the victim. Thankfully after stepping in, there were a few other people who gathered around and helped to stand in the way of the perpetrator.

Haily Tran

When people step in, it makes a difference. Interventions may not necessarily stop hate altogether, but it does disrupt in the moment, and it does signal that hateful behaviour isn't acceptable.

Nic

That’s Dr Haily Tran, from the Tackling Hate Lab. She said people can intervene in a range of ways that suit their own comfort levels.

Haily Tran

So direct confrontation isn't always the best thing or the most safest or even necessary thing to do. There's also one of my favourites, strength in numbers. So stepping in with others is more effective and safer, even if you don't do anything at all. Sheer numbers of people surrounding the person being targeted is very very helpful. And interestingly, even when bystanders don't act, through sheer numbers alone, they can encourage another bystander to intervene and take more significant action. And then there's also distraction tactics. Like for example where you've got someone abusing someone on the train, you could go up to the person and just ask them for the time.

Nic

During a heated incident, it can be easy to focus all our attention and energy on the perpetrator. But looking after the victim is one of the most constructive things we can actually do.

Haily Tran

What the research is telling us is support the person or the people being targeted, so we can sit next to them, check if they're okay, and that could be during the incident or even after.

Nic

We know that people don’t always speak up or intervene, even when they know it's the right thing to do. Here’s Professor Kevin Dunn from Western Sydney University.

Kevin Dunn

There's a gap between people's ambitions in this area and their actual actions. So when you ask people in surveys whether they would take action, it's in the 70 percent, high sixties. You ask the same people if they've ever taken any such action, then you get below 40, below 30 percent.

Nic

So, why is there such a gap between our ambition and actions? Here's Professor Dunn.

Kevin Dunn

The main barriers to taking action, speaking up, are fear of becoming a target yourself, lack of knowledge about what to do and lack of certainty about whether the event is a racist event. But the positive of that is the untapped potential for us to leverage for anti-racist purposes. If we can get people to understand what is racist, what isn't, to understand the different forms of action they can take, and to then be confident in their ability to choose which action to take.

Nic

Being a bystander to an incident of hatred can be a difficult experience, even though you’re not the direct target. Dr Haily Tran says it’s important to take time to process the event.

Haily Tran

As bystanders, when we don't do something, we are also vulnerable to other mental health related issues in the long term. So if you feel like this is something you are currently experiencing, basically acknowledge that it's a tricky and complex situation to navigate. Name the emotions. I feel guilty, I feel shame. And I'm angry because I wish I could have done something more at the time. Name them out loud. So you can move beyond being inactive to empower yourself, draw on your networks around you. With sharing our own experience as a bystander with others, we can learn to how to process what happened.

Nic

This episode was produced and presented by Nic Zoumboulis. To find out more, visit sbs.com.au/sbsexamines

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