Perhaps you’ve never been in a fight in your life. That does not mean you could not get involved in one and face assault charges.
It can be challenging for the police to ascertain what happened when called to a brawl in a bar. Hence anyone there at the time could potentially face charges, even if they were not the initiator or were merely a bystander.
Understanding why people fight can help you avoid situations with the potential for problems. Here are some things that can make a fight more likely:
Cultural expectations
One Canadian study found that young men thought other young men would approve if they resorted to violence to defend themselves or others. It’s likely expected more in certain places or sets of people, such as among those in the forces or gangs or in a bar in a movie set in the wild west.
Too much testosterone
While women can start (and finish) fights, it’s less common. If you think about where fights happen, there is often a lack of women. As a man, you’d probably feel safer entering a bar filled with office workers of both sexes than one filled with male oil rig workers or miners who have not seen a woman in days.
Alcohol or drugs
These can alter people’s moods significantly and exacerbate the tendency to resort to violence. Even people that would cower from a fight when sober can sometimes get a little too bold and brave for their own good when emboldened by alcohol or drugs.
Getting legal help to unravel events will be crucial if you are wrongly accused of assault after a fight took place.