Staying away makes it difficult to be "in the world, but not of the world". To the extent that people acting as described above rubs off on you, and you respond in kind, I would encourage someone to keep their distance. However, to the extent that you could respond to evil with love, and keep your eyes fixed on the true Lover of your soul throughout, I would encourage that person to stay engaged. That is often beyond me though, I must say.
Agreed.