New YouGov research, reveals that Brits are more likely to come to the aid of their pet than to help a male or teenage stranger in danger.
A poll conducted for the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, found that nearly four out of five people (79%) would be willing to help their pet if it was in danger. However, only 56% would be willing to help a man on his own and just 68% would help a teenager they didn’t know, if they saw them in a risky situation. Pensioners (91%), woman (85%) and a child (85%) on their own in danger were most likely to enlist the sympathy of a kind-hearted stranger.
When asked what would prevent them from stepping in to help a stranger in danger, 46% of Brits said they would be concerned about risking their own safety, while 36% said they would not know how to help.
The survey also revealed that ‘selfie culture’ may be making us more selfish when it comes to helping strangers. 15% of 18 to 24-year-olds have pretended to be on the phone or texting to avoid helping a stranger who was in danger. And nearly one in ten (9%) in this age group surveyed online have seen a person in danger and posted about it on social media, rather than helping – although on a positive note, almost half of this age group (47%) have intervened and offered to help.
The survey also shed light on the areas people are from who are most likely to have helped a stranger. Only 49% of adults in the East Midlands claimed to have helped a person in danger. In contrast, more than half of adults in both Wales and Scotland (63%) have stepped in to help a stranger.
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