You witness two girls hitting a homeless woman and taking items that belong to her. The victim’s nose is bleeding. You approach her after the incident. She tells you that she is fine and that the same girls have done this before. She promises it is no big deal and not to worry about her. What do you do?

Where answers to this question lose points

Our scorer marks every answer on three parts. For each of the 87 applicants who finished this question on Confetto, we took their first scored answer and counted the part that scored lowest.

• Structure: a clear order and a clear point46 of 87

Confetto data as of November 8, 2026. A part is shown only when 20 or more applicants share it. Answers where two parts tied are not counted toward either. We never show anyone's answers or details.

What this question tests

• Ethics
• Communication
• Empathy

How to structure your answer

1. Ask questions (25 seconds). The opening focuses on the woman's bleeding nose and emotional well-being, asking her whether she would accept help cleaning the injury or a call for medical assistance. It seeks her permission to help rather than opening with a verdict about reporting the attackers.
2. Who is affected (20 seconds). The woman comes first because she has been injured, robbed, and repeatedly targeted, and may fear retaliation or distrust authorities. The answer also considers other vulnerable people who could face similar attacks and the witness's responsibility to offer support.
3. The conflict (20 seconds). The conflict is between respecting the woman's wish not to escalate the incident and taking action to address serious violence and prevent further harm. The answer recognizes her possible reasons for reluctance while arguing that repeated assault and theft cannot simply be dismissed.
4. Options (40 seconds). The answer considers offering immediate care, contacting police while staying as a witness, or at minimum recording details and connecting her with outreach services. Police involvement could conflict with her wishes or fears, while documentation and support alone may leave the repeated violence unaddressed.
5. Choose (30 seconds). The answer chooses to contact law enforcement despite the woman's hesitation, chiefly because the witnessed assault and theft are serious and could recur. It pairs that decision with an offer to stay beside her and give a witness account, rather than merely telling her to report.
6. What next (20 seconds). The answer follows through by offering to wait with her for police, recording the attackers' descriptions, time, and location, and connecting her with homeless outreach services or shelters. It also proposes supporting local organizations addressing violence against people experiencing homelessness.

Example answer from Confetto

Example answer from Confetto. Not a real applicant's answer.

As I approach the homeless woman, I'm immediately concerned about her physical and emotional well-being, regardless of her insistence that she's fine. The bleeding nose requires immediate attention, and I would first ask if I could help clean her wound or if she'd let me call for medical assistance. Her safety is my primary concern, even if she's trying to minimize the situation.

I understand her reluctance to make this a bigger issue, possibly due to fear of retaliation or previous negative experiences with authority figures. However, I cannot ignore that I've witnessed a violent assault and theft. I would gently explain to her that these acts of violence are serious crimes, and no one deserves to be treated this way, regardless of their living situation. I would express genuine concern that if these girls aren't stopped, they might continue to harm her or others in similar vulnerable positions.

I believe the most responsible course of action would be to contact law enforcement, even if the victim is hesitant. I would offer to stay with her while waiting for the police, explaining that I can serve as a witness to the assault and theft. If she's uncomfortable with this, I would at minimum take detailed notes about the incident, including descriptions of the attackers, time, and location. I would also connect her with local homeless outreach services or shelters that could provide additional support and protection.

What matters most in this situation is balancing immediate care for the victim with preventing future assaults. While I respect her autonomy and understanding of her situation, I have an ethical obligation to report violent crimes and protect vulnerable members of our community. This incident also highlights the broader issue of violence against homeless individuals, and I would look into supporting local organizations that address this systemic problem.

Use it for its structure. Interviewers can tell a memorized script, so tell your own story.

Keep going

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