Southern Patriot
I laugh because a similar situation happened to me.
Many, many, many years ago I was in 12 grade English class. The teacher was a typical English teacher- Just out of college and in love with sonnets and Shakespeare. Well these known bullies kept putting tacks on the chair of a...well...lets say wimp of a young man.
The teacher saw it happening and said nothing so I finally told the bullies to stop. They laughed at me and continued so I jacked the biggest one up.
The teacher ran out of the room screaming and soon after another teacher rushed into the room and took control.
Of course I got hauled off to the Vice Principle's office with the bully's and the kid being picked on. We all told our stories one at a time. I spent the remainder of the year (About a month) in detention at the end of each day along with the bully's. I was never allowed back to my English class (Thank god). The picked on kid never thanked me.
Then there was this time when I saw a guy slapping around his wife at the mall. I stepped in to try and stop it and the women came after me along with her husband- 2 against one. A cop appeared out of nowhere and I received the lecture of a lifetime from him about not getting involved in domestic disputes.
Or my favorite. While at a watering hole (Bar for you folks in Massachusetts) where a guy kept picking on a lady at the bar. She kept telling him to leave her alone. I stepped in and...well he got the worst of it. As a matter of fact he went to the hospital.
While at the hospital he obviously told the police a story and I got arrested for felonious assault the next day. Went to court and it was reduced to a misdemeanor- Simple Assault. I got two years probation and had to pay his hospital bill. The only good thing that came out of the event I ended up marrying the lady being picked on.
So should you step in when someone is being bullied? Do so at your own risk.