This is a question that is similar to one that I have actually been asked as part of an ethics class, as well as some other certification classes.
It is a sort of Kobayashi Maru in that whatever action you take, you may both well be seriously harmed (or worse).
You do not say your proximity to the “jumping,” your gender, your friend’s gender, your relative size, any weapons and/or defensive skills of either of you, so I’ll lay out a few different scenarios.
First Scenario:
Let’s say all 6 of them (the attacker and the attacked) are males of roughly the same height, weight and physique. Let’s also say that the poster is not standing next to his close friend, leaving it a group of 6, with the poster observing the scene from a distance (for example, exiting a building a few minutes after the friend to witness the scene in progress.).
Assume that all 6 are occupied and do not immediately notice you. Therefore, you have the ability to remain undetected to:
1. Hide
2. Call 911
3. Attempt to figure out a way that one person could overtake 5 and not get killed in the process.
Second Scenario:
(Still all males of similar size). The poster is standing next to his friend when the 5 gentlemen decide to attack one of the men and not the other.
In this type of scenario, it does not seem likely that anything the poster does will drive their attention to him, and there is no reason to hide, so the options would be:
1. Call 911
2. Try to reason with the attackers to get them to stop attacking your friend.
Third Scenario:
(This time, 6 males, one female) The poster is standing next to her friend when the 5 gentlemen decide to attack. They ignore the female because it is “not in their nature to hit a woman”.
Options in this scenario are tricky. One woman against 5 men would be extremely difficult, even for Xena.
Here, I’d:
1. Run
2. Scream
3. Call 911
Fourth Scenario:
(5 males, 2 female) This time, poster and friend are both female. All men start attacking one woman but not the other.
Recommendation for Poster:
1. Run
2. Scream
3. Call 911
Fifth Scenario:
(All Women) Traditional “catfight” scenario. Recommendation for poster:
1. Call 911
2. Scream Loudly
3. Try to divert attention of some of the women away from your friend, as 3:1 in a woman/woman fight is more survivable.
But, if there are weapons involved, call 911, run, and get yourself to safety, because that’s the best place you can be to help your friend.
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/What-would-you-do-if-your-close-friend-was-getting-jumped-by-five-men
Originally Posted On: 2015-04-17