The Kitty Genovese Syndrome
& Yelling “Fire!”
A Focus in the Kitty Genovese Syndrome No One is Talking About BEWARE – MYTHS and NONSENSE
Debunking a Flawed Crime Escape SchemeWinston Moseley attacked and stabbed 24-year-old Kitty Genovese at 3 a.m. on the street near her Kew Gardens home in Queens NY on 11 March 1964. Her screams prompted one neighbor to shout out, causing Moseley to flee, but he soon returned to rape the helpless, bleeding woman and stab her to death. Her subsequent screams throughout the 30-minute ordeal fell on the deaf ears of 38 of her neighbors. Other than the neighbor who’d shouted just once, not a single one lifted a finger to help her or even call the police. A national news media furor erupted over the neighbors' stunning apathy but they refused to explain their baffling behavior. Sprouting from this morass, some commentator concocted a scheme to counter such apathy in the future: all outdoor crime victims should yell, “Fire!” instead of “Help! Police!” Supposedly, apathetic neighbors would fear a fire spreading to their homes and call the Fire Department, and then fire trucks would scare away the attacker. UNTESTEDThough never tested for feasibility, and despite the rarity of such apathy, this goofy notion somehow grew into “folk wisdom” still taught today by many so-called crime experts. This supposed emergency maneuver has escaped any serious scrutiny of its logic – or lack thereof – for 44 years. Until now.Not surprisingly, yelling “Fire” has even been reported as being successful once in awhile. Not because it’s a clever strategy, but because whatever help it had summoned would’ve been forthcoming with any plea – regardless of its wording. Most bystanders are not apathetic and will at least start hollering, turning on porch lights, honking car horns, and so on – and of course, calling the police. Predators almost always prefer secrecy, so any attention from bystanders usually scares them off. On top of that, most houses are not built closely side-by-side thus are not vulnerable to a spreading blaze. So, most of the time, yelling “Fire!” makes no sense whatsoever. Finally, bluffs are always risky in any situation, but trying to bluff bystanders into saving your life is beyond foolish. Trying to manipulate them with a fictitious fire when you really want to be rescued from a crime adds dangerous confusion to a crisis. Bystanders have often reported that when they can’t see a fire anywhere, they assume the woman yelling “Fire!” is fooling around or drunkenly fighting with her "boyfriend" – and they disregard her after all. Why risk confusing your potential rescuers when you're in deep trouble? A life-threatening emergency is not the time to gamble on some silly trick. Instead, you should simply identify your plight accurately by yelling “Help! Police!” READY, AIM, FIRE!And do you really want to yell “FIRE!” if someone is pointing a gun at you?A CLOSER LOOK AT THE "KITTY GENOVESE SYNDROME"Alone, a single bystander may or may not intervene to rescue a stranger – depending upon many factors, such as the degree of risk involved, individual ability, etc. But most people will at least phone the police.With several bystanders, additional factors come into play, such as how well they know each other as well as the shame they’d feel by not acting – by at least calling the police and/or creating a ruckus (perhaps from a safe distance) to deter the criminal. Furthermore, in “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference,” Malcolm Gladwell wrote that psychologists Bibb Latane of Columbia and John Darley of NYU studied the Bystander Apathy in the Kitty Genovese case (a.k.a. the "Genovese Syndrome") and found that what most affected “helping behavior” was how many people witness an event. The larger the group, the more each person’s responsibility is diffused. Each thinks others will help, or if no one is helping, there isn’t really a problem. They aren’t heartless and uncaring, they just feel less responsibility to act. Ironically, Latane and Darley say, had Kitty Genovese been attacked with just one bystander nearby, she might well have been rescued. ON TOP OF THATYears later, an investigation found the final reason for the neighbors' shameful apathy – Kitty Genovese had a neighborhood reputation for promiscuity. In 2004, on the 40th anniversary of Genovese’s death, Dr. Tina Trent wrote in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Although the ‘38 Witnesses’ were in their homes, not a courtroom, they judged the victim, not her attacker, and they sentenced her to death.”So, while the rationale for the Yell “Fire!” advice was goofy from the start, we can add the psychological group diffusion and the self-righteous moral disdain to bury that silliness forever. LESSONS LEARNEDDon’t call the dogcatcher to douse a fire, don’t call an ambulance to tow your car, and don’t yell “Fire!” when you’re attacked. Instead, yell “Help! Police!”[However, sounding a false fire alarm to deter a criminal might be effective in certain instances – such as being chased through a hotel hallway. Yell “Help! Police!” while pounding on suite doors as you pass, and pull a fire alarm lever – make as much noise as possible. Then hope people don’t treat you like Kitty Genovese.] RESCUE YOURSELFUltimately, though, your first line-of-defense should not be the wildly unpredictable availability of helpful bystanders or police or firemen to rescue you. You must rescue yourself! Because when seconds count – cops are minutes away! Now, if Kitty Genovese had had the chance to read the advice that you’re about to learn, she might well have escaped virtually unscathed. But, alas, Crime-Safety-Security.com didn’t exist back then. Modern “noisemakers” didn’t exist yet either (though old-fashioned whistles are quite effective – if attached by a rather weak beaded-metal chain instead of a cord that can be used to strangle), nor did pepper spray exist back then. Today, however, you have the following strategy – and modern tools – to escape Kitty's fate. DEFEND YOUR SPACEAlways remain aware of your surroundings. If anyone suspicious begins to come near you, stand tall, have one hand on your noisemaker, raise your other hand in a “STOP!” gesture (or aiming pepper spray), and yell, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" If he keeps coming toward you – that's your tip-off that he's probably a predator – so you can activate your noisemaker while fleeing and/or use your pepper spray. "Fight or flight” are the most famous options. Martial arts' strategies usually add surrender to the list. I’ve added two more: posturing and outsmarting, and aligned all five with FBI guidelines (and simplified their clunky wording). A VICTIM'S FIVE OPTIONS:1. Posturing – presenting yourself as a tough target. If that fails:
2. Fleeing – if that’s not possible:
3. Outsmarting – talking your way out and/or maneuvering toward escape. If that fails:
4. Surrendering and hoping for the best; or preferably as a setup for an escape, perhaps helped by:
5. Fighting like a mad dog to allow your escape. Stun & run.STRENGTHENING YOUR OPTIONSA noisemaker & pepper spray visibly ready will strengthen your first option – Posturing as a tough target – and will probably keep a predator away. Your fifth option – Fighting – is strengthened as well.In the end, though, Kitty Genovese’s tragic fate ultimately helped lead you to a greater understanding of the dynamics and options within an all too common nightmare: a lone woman facing a monster. Now you know how to rescue yourself. By Michael Edward Loftus Sr at www.Crime-Safety-Security.com
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Keywords: Kitty Genovese, Kitty Genovese Syndrome
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