The Bystander Effect

 

The Bystander Effect

by Annabella Hadassa 

Dear readers, allow me to paint you a picture.

Imagine yourself standing in the midst of a crowd. A subway station, a bustling crossroad at rush hour, a loud and lively mall, you name it. As you stand there, minding your own business, you hear someone shout for help.

“Help me! Someone! Anyone! Help me please!” yelled a woman. You turned and saw a woman being grabbed by a man. He towered over her and gripped her arm tight.

Now, I ask you this, what would you do in that situation? Would you run to the woman and get the man to release her, or would you mind your own business?

For those of you who answered that you’d jump in and help her, then you’ve clearly never heard of the bystander effect.

The bystander effect, as illustrated before, refers to the psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim in an emergency when in the presence of a crowd. The counterintuitive behavior is rooted in the diffusion of responsibility, where each person in the crowd assumes that someone else will take action, thereby dismissing the sense of personal responsibility to help the victim themselves. Additionally, the ambiguity of the situation can lead individuals to look to others for cues on how to behave, often resulting in collective inaction.

This phenomenon was famously highlighted in the tragic case of Kitty Genovese in 1964, where numerous witnesses reportedly failed to intervene during her assault. For context, on March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was r*ped and stabbed outside the apartment building where she lived. Surprisingly, 38 witnesses saw or heard the assault. Yet, none of them called the police or came to her aid.

The bystander effect demonstrates how social dynamics can profoundly inuence individual actions, leading to a paradoxical situation where the presence of more people actually decreases the likelihood of assistance. It challenges the notion that a crowd guarantees help, revealing instead that individual action is often inhibited by the presence of others.

Dear readers, I find it quite interesting how society still often acts like a baby, depending on others around them when mass-reacting to a situation. As if we’re afraid of taking the courageous leap to help someone in need. The bystander effect is a reminder that we, as individuals, should not be afraid to step up for what we believe is right. Moving into the future, the human race needs more upstanders. People who do not hide in the crowd and dismiss their responsibilities as others. People who do not fear being perceived as different for coming forward to help others.

People who do not just stand by.