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Student in online video regrets comments in Ohio rape case

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    Failure of empathy? Dr. Keith Ablow weighs in

  • Duration 9:21
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-- new -- in a small town criminal case grabbing national attention.

It involves an Ohio student caught on video joking about an alleged rape victim.

A sixteen year old girl said to have been assaulted.

At a couple of different parties while apparently drugged or passed out drunk.

If you have not seen it here are some of his remarks is is not the alleged rapists -- is someone who appears to have found the alleged rape very amusing.

And we have to warn you.

This is offensive.

You can't get some of the ways -- -- -- Buses that team and families -- against -- so I don't know.

-- today.

A little little -- up I don't know how many every candidate -- she's headed and you read so that helps.

How far.

-- you.

-- -- -- Chris yeah.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- And yeah yeah.

Right now what we're -- they're trying to help but get.

That's like trying to help would turn into snow yeah.

It.

Yeah Tim Tebow.

-- -- I don't -- they're -- that cooperate Marcellus Wallace and all pitched in its.

Never -- who don't love them.

You might tell you speak longer.

Well -- his lawyer is speaking out describing.

The young man's behavior as insensitive and unfortunate.

But saying that his client was not an actual witness to the alleged sexual assault listen here.

It's important that.

You know that Jane doe was not in the house where the video was made at the time it was made.

And Michael was not present in the house where she is alleged to have been assaulted at the time she was alleged to be assault.

And if you seen the video you can tell he and the others were intoxicated.

Michael didn't know the alleged victim -- some I guess of referred to as -- down.

He's since been told that she was that the students house where he was drinking and that she was -- drinking as well but he didn't know that and he'd never met her.

Even if this young man has committed no crime he has managed to infuriate a huge number of people.

And it's raised questions about how we got to this kind of thinking.

In the wake of a brutal events.

That night -- -- -- Ohio.

Joining us now psychiatrist doctor -- -- he's a member of our Fox News medical eighteen -- -- welcome back.

That that young man's name is of Michael -- -- -- and he was enrolled at the at Ohio State University he had gone to the high school.

That all of these football players play -- And these two guys -- from the football team and out stand accused of -- -- -- -- he wasn't part of that they could see him in the immediate aftermath of the alleged sexual assault and and how lightly he was taking it.

He's now withdrawn from Ohio State in the wake of the public controversy around his remarks.

The insensitivity displayed on that tape -- have -- it.

Well first of all Megan you know we keep getting together united talk about the failure of empathy in our culture.

Empathy is this miraculous human quality that allows one human being.

To feel or into -- the feelings of another including that person suffering like this girl this victims suffering.

That's in short supply now it has been squashed by things like social media and technology.

That make people think that others are a little like animated creatures rather than like human beings that's what I think is happening.

And after all this young man is not seeing this happen in the flesh.

He's watching it through the same medium that brings him computer games he's being recorded.

While this is going on.

We are removing our young people from reality from their feelings from their capacity to be empathetic and heroic and courageous.

And will pay the price for it later on.

This is a snapshot of the world were creating.

And speaking of snapshots here is one that will be evidence in the rape trial against these two young men who are the defendants in the rape case they'll be tried in juvenile court of the young girl.

This is a sixteen year old girl.

Who the prosecutors say was dragged by these two men into young man who they say -- her rapists from party to party repeatedly raped and different ways.

Now the two young men deny it and say that there was consent but there's a real question about whether -- girl in this condition could consent you could hear those.

Who had seen her or or talk to those who had been with there.

Including this young man himself Michael noted analysts have been talking to -- football players who believe she was debt.

I mean that's how passed out she was the question I have for you doc is putting let's put aside the two alleged rapists who -- would maintain their innocence.

Okay.

Pack mentality I mean there's so many people saw that girl.

In that condition that one person still not been helped tour.

Now -- -- -- -- people do very poorly and we know this the bystander effect they do very poorly in groups.

They do better alone in actually taking action to help someone out because everybody's thinking I don't want to step out of the pack here.

I'll be judged for it maybe there's some information that I don't have that relates to why this is happening.

And it's very disappointing this is -- this can be taught if we have time to teach kids other subjects in school.

Why can't we teach them.

To be able to be self motivated you know in service to others.

To be able to not follow the crowd to take heroic actions to expect that this kind of bystander effect could -- them and to be able to fight against it.

That's what school should do too it's not just about reading writing and arithmetic it's about character.

Yeah I -- to to just stand up it what what a hero that young man or woman would have -- if -- said put that girl down.

Right now absolutely and gotten her -- years.

But here's the thing that young girl to a lot of these young people is not a girl.

She's somebody who's starring in a reality TV show being taped for broadcast on YouTube or for broadcast -- faced.

And they -- doing that -- photographs they -- doing that here just interject they say that some of the pop participants at this party actually filmed the alleged rape.

And then deleted to take but while the rate is going on the alleged rape took me this hitting -- thinking it's funny.

We're lost in between.

The media we use to communicate and our own roots as empathetic human beings with feelings we're getting lost.

We're literally bleeding into the entertainment.

That we participate in and what happens is that we lose our humanity in that way.

And you can feel like you can feel -- in events like this I do want to say this -- It on the subject of the Michael Modi asked that the tape is disgusting if you watch a full twenty to -- twelve minutes and he shows zero empathy for her.

But I mean I remember going to college -- and there are morons know college guys when they're drunk.

Bunch athletes sitting around.

A local -- I I heard my own two years a lot of really stupid conversations stupid comments and maybe it didn't mean but they're young and their kind of dumb and -- Intoxicated.

Can he be forgiven for that.

I suppose he's paid a a huge price for things that people might do equally terribly.

In private.

However you know would you want this guy babysitting your child dating your daughter.

Working.

In a place where he's interacting with people when there aren't others around to check on him.

Well not really because he's shown so little empathy and yet you're right meg and I agree.

There seems to be alcohol or drugs involved he's he's not quite himself he's looking at a tape not a person and we get a look at this in the -- as well.

I I weigh in on cases where people do.

Crazy things online that you'd say they'd never do that remember Anthony Weiner.

Texting photos and so you think there's a chance he -- naked photo out on the street the people never.

This dehumanize his people and.

Well he's been.

Targeted his FaceBook his Twitter account hacked.

His parents and he's been threatened and that's all wrong that's not right but.

Public can now vocal public reaction.

Shaming him for that behavior I don't -- -- I mean and that's sort of what we do in the society in his scenes like this young man may be headed for course correction.

Which could benefit him and his whole family got -- thanks for being here.

All right thank you thanks for having.

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