Georgia-- yes, I do believe that people hesitate to speak up for fear of being the next "talked about" person. It certainly ran through my mind during the exchange described above. In the end though, I knew that standing by silently amounted to tacit agreement with the improper behavior. I didn't want my name associated with people who would engage in that kind of childish behavior. Maybe it made me a spoilsport in some people's eyes, but I could handle that label.

Susan-- thanks for the feedback. I'll admit, because the behavior I was highlighting was so obviously inappropriate, it was hard to keep my voice neutral. You are correct that my words needed to be non-accusatory-- or else they would have tuned out.